Ineptitude of Masses
by piggypighog
Summary: When an experiment involving the power of the Izanagi was interrupted, the imperfect clone of BK-201 was sent to another world with an incomplete human brain. Unable to sense human emotions, this artificial young man will utilize every logical response to achieve his subconscious goals in the corrupted empire while searching for the meaning of humanity.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The night is grim.

Or is it? Is it just pure darkness?

For all the living beings, isn't black and white only subjective? Who are we to judge the things around us? What gives us the power to determine the actions of others? Are right and wrong never objective?

Perhaps nobody will find out the answer to that question. This is why the experiment is proceeding. This is why there is always someone who tries to establish a perfect representation of our actions with the unnecessary bias.

"Proceed with the experiment, I must make sure our twenty years of research would not go into waste."

The room is bright, but a dark sense flows around the atmosphere. The most significant objects in the light are the electrical equipment.

"Professor, we cannot do this. The genes are rejecting the artificial body, we cannot force the carrier to adapt to this situation in this short period of time, his nervous system will not be able to handle the amount of change that is brought in within this short time period!"

A man pulls out a booklet, and starts scraping the surface of the paper with the pen on his hand. Black ink forms symbols after symbols, many of them represent something above the level of mathematics average human beings can understand.

"I understand his carrying capacity, but everything we have worked for in the last twenty years lies within this body, and I will take every risk that is presented to us right now to make a success out of this experiment."

Pushing his glasses back to eye-level, the man walks toward the largest screen in the back of the room. Typing furiously on the keyboard, he activates some kind of device on top of the cylindrical container. The device moves slowly toward the metal polygon, and connects with the electrical power source with a sound of "clap".

Suddenly, the numbers on the brightest screen soar to a new height.

"Brain procedure, continued. System process, 76.2% complete." A monotonic sound appears in the large room.

There is a clock on the side of the wall, it is currently 11:38 pm.

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound breaks into the room. The wall of one side of the room has been cracked. The metal is bending in an unorthodox way.

"System alert. Intruders detected."

"Damn it! The process is almost complete!"

The man, who others called professor, dashes toward the control pad in the front of the screen.

"There is no time to waste! Activate the storage power of the Izanagi! We do not have other options!"

"But professor…"

"Do you understand my orders? This experiment can determine the future of mankind! We must make sure that it will succeed!"

The younger man frowned for a second, but instantly rushes to the computer afterward.

"Izanagi, what surprise will you bring us?" the professor murmurs to himself with a voice that only he can understand, "don't let us down."

"System, report brain procedure status!"

"Brain procedure, 81.8% complete, sections awaiting processing next: human senses."

"We do not have time for this! System, skip the neuro systems that integrates human taste and smell, we must bring him to functional status before the break-through!"

"Proceeding with new directions: Brain procedure, 93.7% complete."

At the same time, a loud noise shatters through the atmosphere, and contributes to the screaming of a few researchers. Fire and smoke follows forward, creating a large hole on the side wall of the laboratory.

Men holding semi-automatic rifles pours into the laboratory, shooting many white-coated researchers.

The professor is lying on the ground, but he is very still aware of his surroundings. The men are slaughtering his co-workers, and he has nothing to stop them.

"This is the curse I have brought upon myself."

He keeps his body low, and slowly moves to a control pad lying near him.

"No turning back now."

He reaches and grabs the control pad with his left hand, and starts typing in certain passwords on the screen.

The gun shots are still going on. There is someone falling in their screams of agony in every second.

"And my work will be finished."

He presses a key on the control pad.

Suddenly, bolts of lightning travel from the surrounding containers of the room to the cylindrical piece in the middle. A white flash shoots out light the burning meteor, and immediately blinds every single person in the room at this time. In the next second, the cylindrical container flashes with an even brighter light, and disappears from the center of the room, leaving only its label a few meters in front of the experimental location.

The label reads, "BK-201".


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 I think, therefore I am

Many people would argue that they often talk to themselves. Others will call them crazy. Is it possible for one to ask oneself? Subconsciously, don't we all have the potential answers we ask for?

For one man, there questions are, indeed, answered by himself.

"I have consciousness."

…

"I see, this is the materialization of the human body."

In the intersections of all of his brain's neuro connections, thoughts originate from the glimpse of his so-called brain. The brain waves are just like the any other human, but they seem to concentrate on the subject of themselves.

"Interesting, this is the process of thinking."

In the middle of nowhere, his consciousness is speaking to nothing in particular. The basic questions of his existence are asked with no reply from the void.

"Brain functionality normal, frontal lobe normal, motor cortex normal, temporal lobe normal, parietal lobe normal, occipital lobe normal, sensory cortex incomplete."

If talking to oneself is possible, then this person is utilizing this action to its extremes.

"No sense of smell or taste. Could potential cause obstacles from becoming full human."

If one can carry out personal preferences when they are thinking, then this person is denying every single aspect of that argument.

"Inspection on brain activity, cerebrum abnormality can be factored into humanity analyzation."

If one can think with bias and emotion, then this person is defying all the personal factors in his thinking process.

"Lack of emotion? Interesting. There is no conscious experience characterized by intense mental activity and high degrees of pleasure or displeasure."

If thinking can have a specific sound, then this type of thinking is fully mechanical. There is absolutely no taste in its sound.

"Body analyzation complete. Internal organs normal. Agility, speed, endurance, dexterity, natural strength all a few standard deviations above normal human condition."

"Original body host found. Name: Li Shengshun. Species: Human. Previous Code name: BK-201. Alia: Hei, the Black Reaper. Expert martial artist. Note: Body host contains contractor power."

"Contractor Power: Molecular Manipulation. Status: Premature. Potential to alter matter on the quantum level, achieving Special Particle Luminance. Current state: electrical generation and discharge by basic molecular manipulation. No obeisance recorded."

"I see. This is the statistics of the original body."

"As an artificial information carrier, meaningful name should be disregarded. Hei will serve its purpose."

"Molecular manipulation alters reality. Control will be top priority. Everything must be within the standard developments."

"Knowledge analyzation. Earthly objective information obtained. No subjective memories detected."

"Body should be functional in a few seconds."

A feeling of life suddenly overwhelms the body of thought. The idea of waking up is rather new to this new life carrier. Should he be classified as human is a question of subjectivity.

…

"Those damned empire armies!"

"Yeah… however, do remember that we are fighting the best of the best, the army led by General Esdeath herself."

"Tch, that was just the scout in the front line. The real army of Esdeath is only resting behind the ten thousand soldiers in the front."

"To be honest, even if General Hector promised us a full retreat, is it really possible for us to escape the thirty thousand troops around us?"

Vague sounds slowly filled Hei's head, from the amplitude of the sound waves, it is clear that the conversation is not far from where Hei is.

Suddenly, he opens his eyes.

A dark shade of green is reflected into his brain, as a result. The feeling of soil and grass throughout the body can be used to provide his current situation – Hei is lying in the middle of a forest.

Sitting up from his current position, Hei decides to observe his own status.

He is wearing a black trench coat, covering his entire body. Inside the trench coat lies some equipment that are familiar to his original counterpart.

Inside his coat rests a white mask with a purple lightning symbol over the right eye. It also contains a thin red slit across the mouth. A knife on a metal wire is set within his sleeve. An adjustable grappling hook is also on the weapon. Additional wires with carabines also rests in his pocket. Two pistols are resting in the inside pockets of his coat, and a small crossbow is located next to the pistols.

"Faking identity should be considered top priority." Hei takes off his trench coat, his weapons, and equipment, and places them securely inside a bush next to a tree. His inner white shirt takes over his personality, and Hei pulls out a pair of glass from the front pocket of the shirt.

"Information must be gathered before any additional steps are taken." Hei puts on the glasses, "appearance cannot provoke possibilities of threat."

Covering himself with dust from the ground, Hei turns his head and looks toward the direction for which the sound of the previous conversation appeared.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Deception is the Key

"Forced secrecy will bring upon suspicion, steps must be taken as commoners."

Walking without any means to hide his presence, Hei moves toward the group of soldiers.

"Who is there?" A soldier stands up at the same time when Hei walks out of the bushes. His hand is holding onto his weapon tightly. Three other muscular men soon follows suit. In the same time, Hei is surrounded by four fully equipped soldiers, looking at him with suspicion and alert.

Turning his head, Hei searches through the soldiers from his glasses… No, "soldiers" would be an overstatement. The armor on their bodies are riddled with holes, and their spears are rotten, perhaps by blood.

"Reaction time relatively low. Analyzing the rotten spear heads, the estimated time for weapon renewal would be a few years. Soldiers appeared worn-out, the armor indicates intense battle."

Not making any moves in the middle of immediate danger, Hei continues to analyze his current environment with his observations in his mind.

Noticing the navy sky, it is clear that night has arrived. There are a few tents located near the camp fire. Talking about tents, these tents are, on the most part, abnormal when comparing to the ones in Hei's memory. Perhaps due to the ongoing steam from the soil below them, the tents are bubbled up by this rush of airflow.

"This geography represents…" The dark eyes under these light glasses decide to blink a few times.

"Hey?! Are you deaf? We are talking to you! Who the heck are you? Why the heck are you here?" One of the soldiers shouts out.

"Detain him, we cannot allow for any risks of spies at this point" The man, who is probably the leader of the small group, orders his soldiers to search for weapons on Hei's body.

A soldier glances at Hei, seeing his emotionless expression, and starts to search through his shirt and pants. "No weapons found." he says.

"I think this person is suspicious. We need to take him to General Hector. Tie his hands." The leader passes a rope to the soldier that just finished searching. He ties Hei's hands behind his back.

"Let's go!"

…

Hei does not seem to care for his current situation. Walking toward the direction the leader is taking, he only seems to care for the unending white gas scattered around in the air.

"High temperature of the ground indicates adequate geothermal energy. High density of trees allows for little steam to escape this area. If utilized correctly, potential explosion can be manipulated from this current state. Camp fire is burning, but no sign of previous explosion. Interesting. Not enough concentration for combustibles."

Squinting his eyes, Hei observes the soldiers again with a mysterious look.

"Therefore, verification will proceed."

…

The foggy air consumes the atmosphere around the tents. Sitting in this position, it is clear that one's breathing can be hindered by this environment easily. Why would the revolutionary soldiers position their tents in this type of location?

Perhaps a strategic upper hand is the answer to that question. With the white fog covering their positions, visibility is extremely low. One can only see what is ten to twenty meters in front of him. If the leader of those soldiers is considering guerrilla warfare, this would be a heavenly place for them.

However, it seems that the revolutionary soldiers are not in any mood to fight a guerrilla warfare. The first line of attack consisted of more than fifteen thousand soldiers, but they have unfortunately come to face the legendary General Esdeath, which results in a casualty that is higher than ninety percent. After barely escaping their first battle, the remaining number for the soldiers are only about five hundred.

Powerless! Completely powerless! When facing absolute power, any type of guerrilla warfare will just be consumed by the innumerable empire troops, sooner or later. Desperation fills the entire atmosphere, nobody is willing to fight a losing battle, when there is absolutely no hope.

Or is there?

At this time, Hei is standing in the middle of the brightest tent. His hands have been untied, but the guards around the tent are still holding their weapons tightly, trying to eliminate any potential danger. Hei turns his head and looks at the officers in the tent.

Emotionlessly, he pushes his glasses back to where it should have been. Then, his eyesight lands on the general in the middle seat.

The shining armor of this general creates a metaphysical force field around him, a psychological one, that seems to suppress anyone coming near him. He opens his eyes, and his eyesight directly sends Hei a message of disdain.

However, Hei does not flinch. Silently, and emotionlessly, Hei continues this staring contest.

The atmosphere seems a bit too dignified for a situation like this.

Straightening his back, Hei's glasses reflects the light of the camp fire directly into the vision of the sitting general.

At this moment, no one is supposed to speak first. Whoever speaks first will show a sign of weakness when comparing to the other one.

Therefore, this strange staring contest will just need to continue.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Hei's Wisdom, Ineptitude of Masses

It is clear that General Hector wanted to ask Hei something, but everything that is happening right now is just completely unexpected for him. In the beginning, it is obvious that General Hector wanted to use his prestige to scare off this young man, but apparently it did not work. With that emotionless face, it seems like this man cannot be moved by prestige alone.

The sound of a light sigh eventually comes out of the general's mouth.

"In the end, I'm still a defeated general…"

Carefully shaking his head, the general regains his focus on the young man before him.

"You should know why you are taken here."

"You are trying to determine if I am an enemy scout. If I am, you will force me to tell you the position of other enemy scouts, and you will eliminate all of them. If the enemy loses all their scouts, the foggy atmosphere will grant you a slight advantage over them."

Not showing any sign of panicking, Hei answers the question in a manner as if he had known what the general was going to ask.

"Do you know that the answer you just gave me will increase the probability of you being an enemy scout?"

General Hector glares at Hei with a mixture of curiosity and doubt.

"Such ineptitude of masses…"

…

Hei's emotionless poker face completely overwhelms the crowd. Who is this man? Does he know that he is not in the position to lecture his potential executioners? Small talks among the officers start to spread across the meeting tent.

"I am a traveler. Lost in the middle of the forest. If you think that killing me, a random stranger, will help you win a war against the army that is sixty times larger than your current forces, then I will let you do whatever you want with me. In the end, if this battle is still considered a fair battle, then why even bother sitting around the tents and all look like you have experienced the end of the world?"

A visible sneer takes over Hei's emotionless face. He turns his head to observe all the officers around him, and all of which gradually lower their heads.

In reality, this group of the revolutionary army only contains about five hundred people, but Esdeath still has a total of more than thirty thousand troops. The revolutionary army does not have any backup for food or water, so if the siege continues, then all of them will gradually die of hunger and thirst, while Esdeath just sits outside and wait for the victory. Of course, this does not eliminate the fact that Esdeath might discover this hideout, and if that happens, then all hope is lost.

No one in this tent can be called a fool. How can they not know what type of person Esdeath is? Depression suddenly overcomes the mood of everyone.

"However, probability shows that you may still have a chance."

The mechanical voice appears like the bright star in the darkest nights, the sudden excitement for the soldiers brought by this sentence is beyond description.

"Oh? Is that so? You do remember that we can still consider you an enemy scout?"

General Hector squints his eyes to re-focus on the man in front of him, the cunning eyesight is just like a wolf looking at its prey. What he is trying to say is very clear: the revolutionary army cannot just believe the words of a random stranger. At the same time, they will also prevent this stranger from leaving the place while knowing their position.

"Foolishness."

…

"I have revealed myself to your soldiers without any means of self-protection, when it is clear that are still commanding an army with over hundreds of way to eliminate me. You are under a siege that will potentially kill every single soldier under your command, and yet you do not have a single plan for retreat or counter-attack. According to my analyzation of your current situation. Your chance of survival without me is below two percent. If you are still not willing to take a risk on the battle field where you have absolutely no courage to survive, then I have nothing else to say."

…

General Hector is shocked internally by the words of this mysterious man. From his looks, this man is only about twenty years old. He did not only held himself against a group of threats, but also persuades them to follow his orders without any demonstration of his personal strength. Even though he does not look like he has any means to protect himself.

There are two decisions that are in front of the tired general right now:

1\. Starvation by Esdeath's siege, while not knowing if Esdeath will find this place before their death.

2\. Listen to this mysterious and emotionless young man.

"So… According to your plan, what is our chance of winning the battle?"

"Below fifty percent. However, if succeed, then you will at least be able to destroy ten thousand enemy troops."

His voice shows complete coldness toward the situation at the moment. Even when his own life is tangled with those of the revolutionary army, he does not show any sigh of fear.

"Only below fifty percent… however, I don't think we have a choice here…" the old general lets out a long sigh, "I cannot believe I am still dreaming of a complete victory in this type of situation. How embarrassing."

Eyeing this young man again, General Hector decides to show a more respectful attitude.

"What is your name, young man?"

…

"My name is Hei."

It almost sounds like an order from a king to his people. It almost sounds like the young man is saying "My name is Hei. Remember it well. It is an order."

Who has the upper-hand now?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Know Yourselves Before You Know Your Enemies

Realms of fog covers the outside environment of the revolutionary army base. When visibility is critically reduced, one must use a torch to find their directions. How strange, everyone is still breathing normally in this layer of heavy fog.

Common sense tells us that that fogs are similar to clouds. They form from the evaporation and condensation of water particles inside the atmosphere. As a result, A thick fog would require a large amount of ground heat.

However, there is neither water source nor enough water particles around this area, and humans are still able to breathe freely without any obstacles.

This geography, in fact, is the ingenious work of the nature itself. The gas particles around here are confined within the special soil on top of them. The nature has created an unending green house. Usually, it is rather strange for the gas particles to be superimposed upon this environment with a radius of about two hundred fifty kilometers; however, weird things happened… and something weirder is waiting for the right time to reveal itself.

Hei slowly straightens his body, and proceeds to observe the deep dark cave in front of him.

Undoubtedly, this environment represents the Karst topography. Looking at the inside structure of the cave, Hei has found out that the cave is made of Stalactites, which ensures the absolute toughness of its foundation. From the movement of the air inside the cave, it is very easy to conclude that this cave has at least another entrance.

"Basic information analyzed. Verification will proceed with this unusual soil composition."

Revealing his poker face, Hei pushes his glasses back to his eyes, and turns toward the soldiers next to him.

"If my observations are correct, then there resides a large water source underground. With the help of the caves, the probability of success will increase by around ten percent."

Making sure that no one else is paying attention, Hei walks into the cave and carefully places a cubic package under a pile of rocks.

Walking out of the cave, the sky is starting to turn red. The sun is coming out soon.

"No stars, I see."

Hei frowns at his thoughts.

"Why would I care about the stars? They have no meaning in my plan."

Looking at the sky once again, Hei slowly takes off his glasses.

"Maybe Li's body memory is interfering with my judgement… How can that be possible? This is not his real body, and my brain is incomplete from the experiment."

Deciding that he should ignore the question for now, Hei takes out a small bottle of orange liquid, and nods his head at the sight with a sign of satisfaction.

"If there are more than one cave…"

"Hei! What are you doing here? Why do I feel like you are planning something we don't know?"

The soldiers finally shift their focus onto this young man again. To them, something about this man just doesn't feel right.

"I am only planning for this battle."

Hei turns his face away from the soldiers.

"Then why aren't you looking at us?"

"Trust me."

Hei turns his head toward the soldiers once again, but his emotionless face does not convince any sign of honesty or dishonesty.

"You…" The soldiers become speechless again as they look into Hei's eyes.

"It is almost time to verify my last hypothesis…"

Ignoring the soldiers around him, Hei looks up into the sky again.

"Now… Stars, where are you?"

…

How would you handle a small bug that you hate? Would you kill it in one smack, or would you play it around until it meets its final fate? That is an interesting question.

If the revolutionary army is a defenseless bug, then the empire army is an elephant that is able to destroy anything in its way. When you stand in front of such a large beast, you will feel yourself trembling at its absolute power, not even mentioning the cruel torture fetish Esdeath is known for.

If one is caught by Esdeath…

…

On a large plain with no trees, countless white tents are lined up in a perfect manner. If one can become psychologically ill from a look on those tents, then the illness can be called Intensi-phobia.

The reason for a large army to setting in the middle of a grass plain is rather obvious. When settling in the plains, it is much easier for the scouts to detect the enemies. Furthermore, the river next to the settlement is needed to constantly provide water for the thirty thousand troops. On the other hand, if this army settles in the valley, then possibility of ambush would be much higher.

However, even though the river is vital to the lives of thirty thousand troops…

A young maiden is still freely touching the water sprays with her toes.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 When Everything Begins

"So, the scout has found the positions of those struggling worms."

The blue-haired maiden turns her face to notice the falling of the last drop of the river water from her foot.

"That is correct, General Esdeath. From the information gathered by our scouts, the remnant forces are all hiding in the Elder Basin."

A middle-aged man with silver hair turns his body to answer to this general in a respectful manner.

"You are still not getting it, are you? Liver, those are just the last of the revolution forces, you would just need to send the striking unit to eliminate them easily."

Esdeath continues to play with the water droplets in her hands with a sound of indifference.

"Even though our forces can destroy the enemy remnants completely, we should still plan to minimize the loss of our soldiers on the battle field."

Liver knows the personality of the Empire's Greatest. Comparing to General Budo, however, this woman has a personality that is at least ten times weirder.

What Esdeath believes is the classical Law of the Jungle.

"If they are weak, then there is no reason for them to live. For a soldier, dying on the battle field is always better than other places."

That is totally going to hurt the feelings of her subordinates.

"However, Elder Basin… Interesting, I heard that it is a beautiful place. Maybe I can set up a torture chamber there, once we are done."

Standing up from the river, Esdeath gently puts on her boots, fixes her cap, and smiles at Liver.

"Just send our strike force, Liver."

"As you command, General Esdeath."

Straightens up his body, Liver walks back toward the tents.

"Another battle, isn't it… No, this is a massacre. It feels… not so bad after all."

Watching Liver disappears in the distance, Esdeath slowly licks her lips.

…

"It is rather foolish to view this as a battle. What comes next is a total massacre. This is why I have decided to create this plan."

Hei looks at the officers sitting around him in the main tent.

The monotone with a clear meaning of suppression comes out of his mouth. Undoubtedly, Hei is telling everyone to prepare for the worst.

The officers are clearly disturbed by his words. After all, this depressed statement is damaging the revolutionary army's morale – even though it is a complete truth.

If a regular soldier in the army decides to speak out like Hei did, then he would definitely be punished for disrupting the fighting morale; however, when facing Hei, nothing can be done, because he is the key person to win this impossible war. This feeling where you need to obey the orders from the one who is clearly using you is very, very unsatisfying.

"Sir! Our scout has discovered a large group of empire soldiers at the entrance of the basin!"

"Oh? They have passed the canyon already?"

General Hector frowns at the oncoming report.

"Yes, sir. They have passed the canyon completely. From the looks of the first wave, there are about five to six thousand troops."

Silence follows.

When facing an army ten times larger than yours, what can you do with a pitiful number of five hundred soldiers?

"Divide your forces into three sections. Utilize the environment to carry out separate guerilla warfares. After successfully drawing the enemy attention, gather all of them on the western side of the giant rock."

Explaining his orders, Hei carefully watches the facial expressions of everyone in the tent.

"When you reach the western side," he takes out a small container from his pocket, "use this device to shoot a signal into the sky."

"What is this? Can you even see this device in the middle of the heavy fog?"

An officer receives the container from Hei's hands, and questions the liability of Hei's device.

"The distance between the giant rock and the forest here is no more than forty kilometers. Do not question the device in your hands. Pay extreme attention to this container. Once you arrive the location, shake the bottle thoroughly, and open the cap. The device will send a noticeable signal into the sky. Upon seeing the prompt, I will continue with the plan."

Looking at this doubtful officer, Hei answers his question emotionlessly.

"Any questions?"

Hei glances around the tent.

…

"This is it! Let us ride to battle! Our very last battle! My comrades! Victory to the revolution!"

General Hector rises his right arm, and shouts out the battle cry with all his might.

"Victory to the revolution! Victory to the revolution! Victory to the revolution…"

The statement ignites the last match in every single soldier's heart. Similar to an adrenaline rush, the words of their beloved general is leading them to their honorable future.

"Victory indeed." Hei complies.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Hei, the Gun Slinging Reaper

What happens when you mix up the heavy fog with the smoke of fire? When the troops clashes with each other, the atmosphere can be a killer itself. It is extremely hard to order attacks in the midst of a heavy fog, not mentioning the extra layer of burning corpses. Fighting in this type of weather, accidental injuries from your own troops can be the main obstacle.

Death is not scary, but it will be when you don't even know how you are killed.

Similar to the curse of ghosts, the high rate of accidental deaths is threatening the courage of every single soldier on the battlefield. Of course, the revolutionary army has a psychological advantage over its opponents.

In contrast, those spoiled empire soldiers are freaking out inside the heavy fog. The large number of people is the main cause of the large number of accidental injuries.

Morales are the determining factor in battles like this. The revolutionary army has to fight to their last blood. There is no retreat, and there is no backup. Furthermore, they are mostly born in little villages outside of the capital, this geography can be considered a heavenly gift for them.

Well, however, this army is still led by the Empire's Strongest. How can they be so easiliy crushed by an opponent that is only one tenth of their size?

"Third unit, forth unit, regroup on the western side! Do not stay in the conflict!" General Hector raises his torch.

It doesn't matter if the enemies also heard him, his job is to lure the enemy, not suicide.

At the same time, the empire troops are also ambushed at two other locations. The casualties are not high, but they are not fast enough to keep up with the revolutionary soldiers.

The number difference of the two armies is just too large, you cannot do anything about it.

However, it is certain that everyone heard the regrouping location.

The western side!

The destination of all empire troops!

…

"Within calculation."

Hei looks at the small group of soldiers companying him – it is not much, but they are definitely the elite ones. On one hand, they are under the general's orders to aid Hei in every way possible. On the other hand, they are here to monitor Hei's actions. Betrayal at this time can be deadly.

"Electron manipulation – type Beta."

"Hei? What are you doing?"

Hei turns around, a small pistol appears in his right hand.

BANG! ZAP!

This is the result of when a highly charged bullet pierces through the body of a mortal. The large amoung of potential difference between the two objects creates a supernatural electrical shock, killing the victim in an instant.

Using logical reasoning and intense mental calculation, Hei combines the combat experience of his host body with his artificial superhuman brain to predict the moves of every single soldier around him. Shooting electrified bullets from his pistol, Hei had already killed three soldiers before the rest of the group recovers from the mental shock Hei caused.

This battle tactics will make sure to save the most amount of ammunition, because each touch of a bullet is an instant kill.

And of course, Hei doesn't miss.

"Hei… You…"

This group of soldiers had never thought that Hei would betray them at the last minute. They had never thought that a person as physically unimpressive as Hei can handle a gun with a high degree of precision and accuracy.

However, this is not the time for recovering.

The rest of the group charges instantly toward Hei with their weapons in their hands.

BANG! BANG! ZAP!

Another pistol appears in Hei's left hand, his bullets now contain twice the rate of assault.

"Electron manipulation – type Alpha."

As the soldiers enclose on Hei, their swords and spears are piercing through the air resistance, targeting Hei's defenseless back. In this instance, there is absolutely no time for a returning gun shot.

Calculating his muscle movements, Hei throws the pistol in his right hand in to the air, and steps a backward with a distance of around one meter, elbowing the soldier with the spear right on top of his stomach with his free hand, while aiming his other hand toward the sword that is approaching him from another direction.

BANG! ZAP! PING!

And the soldier falls to the ground, not knowing how he is killed.

"Steel is a conductor. Opponents unaware of elementary physics."

On the other side, the man with the spear falls onto the ground, lying unconsciously.

Stopping for a second, the remaining soldiers decide to charge in all at once, hoping to end this disgusting traitor once and for all.

Taking off his glasses and placing them into his pocket, Hei casually catches the falling pistol, and lowers his body to three forth of his previous height.

"Electron manipulation – type Gamma."

This time, Hei throws the two pistols to the opposite directions like two boomerangs, and kneels down on the ground.

Such unorthodox actions may create unexpected outcomes.

The clips of the pistols are unlocked. When the pistols are flying in mid-air, the gun clips separate from the pistols due to Newtonian laws. As the clips come out of the pistols, however, an invisible field suddenly covers the small battlefield – the bullets from the clips, at the same moment, directly fly toward different targets as if they are living beings.

And then.

PING! ZAP! PING! PING! ZAP! PING! ZAP…

And lifeless corpses fall heavily onto the ground, never to stand again.

"Magnetic field incomplete, uncertainly over twenty percent, range of error too high, time around 3.2 seconds, voltage difference high, impulse of bullets relatively weak."

Hei stands up from his kneeling position.

"Contractor ability still premature."

…

"Procedure continues."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 What It Means to Have a Superhuman Mind

The massacre begins.

The Law of the Jungle states that weaklings are only destined to death. This is war, a war that puts the period in the biographies of everyone who is weak. How does the revolutionary army survive throughout the years with only a tiny portion of the empire's strength? Strategy determines results. It doesn't matter what period it is – the strong always wins with their power, the weak always wins with their wit. Only with a clever mind can the weak hold onto that impossible side of victory, and history proves as much.

In essence, if the strength of one is not able to destroy everything, then there is always an intellect able to exterminate the strong in the back stage.

Basin, western side.

The empire troops are enclosing the revolutionary army from every direction as wolves circling upon their prey.

"I hope Hei is not overestimating this small device of his…" General Hector takes out the container from his pocket, eyeing the orange liquid inside.

"Wait… What is that smell…"

Turning his body 180 degrees, what comes into the general's view can instantly trigger a heart attack. Holding onto his posture, the general's face suddenly becomes as pale as the snow in early January.

A sea of fire.

The forest is burning.

What just happened?!

.…..

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why are you betraying us?"

The lucky spear soldier just woke up to find all of his comrades scattered around on the ground, dead.

Observing the burning forest in from of him, Hei slowly turns around. With the light of the fire creating the hollowing shadow on the ground, the emotionless face only adds a layer of terror to his picture.

"Foolishness. Instead of wasting your energy and getting my attention, you should have focused on how to escape from the current situation."

Walking step by step, Hei slowly approaches the man on the ground. With each step Hei takes, the temperature in the soldier's heart drops a few degrees – death is not frightening, but the process of waiting for one's death can eventually break a man's mental barrier.

Hei has retrieved all of his clothes and equipment before he set the fire burning through the forest. With his black robe wobbling by the burning flame's changing air currents, Hei looks like the emissary of death itself.

Noticing the fear approaching him, the soldier is torn between his two options – death by this devil in front of him, or death by escaping into the burning forest.

"I guess I don't have any other choice…"

Gritting his teeth, the lucky survivor dashes into the sea of flames.

"Escaped? Incompetent choice. Possibility of survival is lower than ten percent."

Turning back to face the cave in front of him, Hei slowly disappears into the field of darkness.

…

On the western side of the giant rock, the soldiers are engulfed by the burning forest around them. General Hector is locked in a tight situation right now.

"Shall I use this device? The empire troops may have attacked Hei's position already… but, if I don't use it…"

Looking at the orange liquid again, the general starts to consider his options.

However, his time clearly runs short as two words were shouted behind him.

"Enemy attack!"

It is obvious that his opponents will not allow him the time to decide.

Sighing heavily, he decides to speak to his followers with a tone of resignation.

"There is no way out for us anymore. Our honor will most likely be the last thing we can cherish on this battlefield. Now, this is the device Hei has given us. Use it or not, I leave the option to all of you."

"F*ck this sh*t! I still have a wife! I haven't seen her in five years!"

"I don't want to die here!"

"Damn it! I don't care anymore! I will do anything to live through this hell!"

…

There is a limit of pressure every man is able to handle. When you surpass that limit, no matter how tough you are, you will eventually break down.

"So be it."

General Hector takes a deep breath, and looks at the flaming forest for the last time. The smoke causes the air to be harder to breathe, and he is already battling with his own respiratory system.

Determined to fight until the last blood, he firmly and quickly shakes the container.

HISS! CRACK!

Burning flame immediately covers his arms, the fire quickly climbs up his body, burning the shocked general alive.

"HEI! YOU SON OF A…"

Before he can finish his sentence, the fire has already skyrocketed.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG…

When the chemicals inside the bottle come to contact with the air, the atmosphere seems boiled to its highest limit, and then, just before anyone recovers themselves from what happened just now, the compound exploded!

Every single explosion covers at least a spherical space with a radius of five meters, and they are spreading in an incredible rate. Within a few seconds, hundreds of soldiers are no more.

At the same time, oxygen is just like the gasoline for this chemical compound, because when the explosions started a few seconds ago, the air also started its process of inflammation.

No matter who you are, what you are, revolutionary soldiers, empire soldiers, animals, plants… Fire has engulfed the entire basin in a few minutes. Explosions are still continuing, taking lives after lives without a single sense of remorse or hesitation.

Chaos! Complete chaos!

…

"The chaos of order represents the collapse of the system. Due to the sealed compound and the high degree of air impurity in the atmosphere, the final stage of the hypothesis should begin in a few seconds."

Walking casually inside the cave, Hei turns around and looks toward his entrance in the distance.

"The work is finished. Staying is illogical, departure should proceed immediately."

…

BOOM!

With the giant explosion at the other side of the forest, something is triggered by this natural disaster…

This is…

Debris flow!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 And You Think You Know the Art of Death

Debris flow. The so-called debris flow. A simple natural disaster caused by the extensive buildup and movement of water and soil. The unending mixture of mud, water, and rocks can swallow any obstacle on its way and make itself stronger than before. This exponential growth of power carries the sign of death into the layers after layers of soldiers.

Gas can be easily superimposed in certain spaces, and this phenomenon can eventually become the incentive to its own explosion. The geography of the Elder Basin ensures the inescapability for the gas itself, and thus creates a giant greenhouse for the storage of all of the trapped air inside. The complex geography creates an isolated ground – a small gas explosion will result in a chain reaction of endless explosions.

When the quantity of inflammables in the air accumulates to a certain extent, a little bit of flame can result in a rage of fire. Due to the burning pollution generated by the burning impurities, this forest fire is not killing everyone with its unbearable temperature, but its poisonous carbon monoxide.

This is the primary objective of Hei's hypothesis.

Completely enough to slaughter the lines after lines of officials waiting for their non-existent targets.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM…

The indescribable sound charges downward to annex everything on its way, while the confused soldiers are still too distracted by the countless explosions and the breath-hindering poison.

"Hey… Did you hear that?" an experienced officer looks at his subordinate.

"Yes, sir. But… what is that?"

Standing in this harsh environment, breathing can be extremely difficult, but the subordinate still managed to answer the question.

Soon, the answer is revealed.

Because the debris flow has arrived.

"Ahhhhh!"

Screams after screams penetrate through the atmosphere, but they are immediately replaced by the sound of the thundering rocks.

"What the hell is that?!"

The subordinate manages to shout out his inner most reaction while watching his chief being killed by a rolling rock. The rock smashes against the grown man's head, completely crashing his skull, and the dead man's brain splashes everywhere.

Before the subordinate can think of anything else to say, he, too, is on the way to hell.

The rolling debris crashes into the empire troops, killing hundreds and hundreds of men in each second. Due to the structured formation of the soldiers, ten thousand fatalities are achieved in just a few minutes.

Similar to all the other soldiers, the surviving ones at the back of the formation are also scared to death; however, they are not moving an inch as if they are permanently stuck on their positions.

"Tch, as soldiers of the empire, how can all of you show such embarrassing weakness?"

The empire troops separate into two factions, while the blue-haired maiden walks calmly out of the formations. Her facial expression suddenly turns into a devilish smirk.

Just as Moses splitting the Red Sea, Esdeath walks up to the ongoing debris flow with a complete sense of confidence.

"Floods? Rocks? Debris flow? Freeze to the core in front of me!"

In an instant, the air temperature drops to that of the ice age. Frost begins to form on the tips of the weapons the soldiers are holding.

From the middle of the debris flow, the ice spreads like a contagious disease, freezing the entire natural disaster in a matter of few seconds.

"So… how many soldiers did we lose?"

General Esdeath turns around to look at Liver, who is viewing this instance with his full respect.

"About twelve to thirteen thousand troops are lost in the debris flow, general. We are completely unaware and therefore not prepared for this natural disaster."

"That's enough, Liver. The weak does not need any excuses. Death is the ultimate destiny for all those who are not strong enough… however, this natural disaster… hmm…"

Eyeing through what's remained of the Elder Basin, the previous heavy fog has disappeared completely, the only thing that is left are the giant ice caps and the route to where the debris flow began.

"Oh, there you are."

A smile forms upon the maiden's face.

"Using five hundred soldiers to destroy ten thousand troops… who is this person?"

…

"Interesting."

…

"Interesting."

Hei looks at the ice caps from outside of the Elder Basin, and walks toward the other side of the mountains with a chain of deep thoughts.

"Power Level: S. Extremely dangerous. If this is the work of a contractor, then the best option is to avoid any potential contact."

Walking out of the forest, a picture of a large city in the distance comes into his view.

"So, this is the capital."

Putting on his glasses carefully, Hei slowly walks toward the destined city.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Esdeath's Interest

What is the chance for a random soldier to survive a forest fire? Statistics will show some low percentages. What about a debris flow followed by the forest fire? Well, the law of probabilities multiplies the two tiny numbers into something that can be described as merely impossible. What about a mini ice age after the two natural disasters?

…

Looks like someone is receiving some miracles.

"What the f*ck!?"

How would you feel if disasters after disasters fall upon you in a single day? Your survivability can, logically, only be determined through the numbers of statisticians; however, the statisticians will never produce a probability of absolute zero. There is a chance for everything.

As the only living revolutionary soldier scrambles pass the remains of the forest, the blocks after blocks of frozen debris is freaking him out in every possible way.

Shivering by external and internal coldness, he stumbles across the now-demolished basin, unknowingly revealing his position in the shinning daylight.

"How…?"

Taking the view of the obliterated field into his mind, he walks step by step toward the only possible exit out of this hellish wreckage.

"Hey you there! Don't move!"

And seems like his luck just came to an end.

"F*ck."

…

Interrogation.

A technique used to gather valuable information about your enemies. It can be extremely inhumane at times, but it gets the job done. However, this type of matter naturally should be handled by the lower military officials, not the supreme leader of the entire empire army.

So… Why is Esdeath so interested in the interrogation of this specific revolutionary soldier?

The peaceful smile shown on the general's face would never tell you she had just lost about thirteen thousand troops.

"So, I only have one question."

Esdeath stands in front of the kneeling man, a small grin emerges onto her face slowly.

"Who, exactly, annihilated thirteen thousand empire troops with only five hundred desperate soldiers?"

A morbid flush slowly develops on Esdeath's pale cheeks, her eyes overran with internal excitement.

Shocked at the empire generals' statement, the soldier loses his instant ability to formulate his thoughts together.

"Thirteen thousand troops…"

Hei has done the impossible.

What a monster.

Now, he has to decide if he is going to tell everything he knows about Hei, and how he is going to live though his current predicament.

After sighing heavily, the beaten soldier looks up to the Empire's Strongest.

"I can tell you everything I know about that man, but I want your promise to spare my life."

"Go on."

Esdeath proceeds to answer without a single sign of hesitation.

A small grin appears on the soldier's face, the feeling of revenge suddenly overwhelms him with that sinful joy. Straightening up his body, he starts to tell the story of Hei. From meeting him to taking him to the camp, from formulating his plans to betraying the revolutionary army, the soldier lashes out words of hatred whenever he mentions Hei's name.

"Hmm… so his name is Hei…" Esdeath lightly drops her eyelids, looking as if she just solved a conspiracy theory.

"Such an interesting man…"

"Interesting? Hei? No, no, no, no… he is the most emotionless person you will meet in your life. From the way he looks at you to the way he talks, from the way he walks to the way he eats, he does not show a single action of opinion!"

The soldier is clearly still sunk within his own fantasy of revenge on this traitor, but Esdeath cuts him back to reality with a cold sentence.

"I am done. Kill him."

She straightens her white military cap, turns around, her blue hair swings across her shoulder, and the sound of her military boots slowly lowers as she walks out of the tent.

"General! Please do not poke fun at me! You have promised to…"

"The strong will never respect the words of the weak. You will learn that from hell."

…

"Hei… hmm…"

Ignoring the begging man behind her, Esdeath slowly raises her head to look at the sunset on the other side of the mountains, and murmurs something to herself.

"That man… his mind… is quite unique and powerful… however, this is where the fun is. Conquering him will definitely bring a satisfactory feeling…"

She lifts up her messy hair on the side of her ear.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 On the Way

From the views of Hei, nothing seems important for him on a personal level. Maybe the original body host had something or someone he held precious, but what about this artificial clone with an incomplete brain? Perhaps nobody knows the answer of this question, not even Hei himself.

The weather is decent. The blue sky seems extra high when there are no clouds. The sun hangs on the edge of the sky, while the wind brushes through the green forests on the side of the road. A single breath on this type of day will clear anyone away of any unhappy thoughts.

However, on such a beautiful day, an emotionless young man can still ignore the positive atmosphere around him while complaining about systematic things on top of his horseback.

"Sun carrying too much light and heat can hinder the ability to stay on low profile." Murmuring to himself, Hei takes out an apple and casually bites down a piece.

"From the previous encounter with the soldiers and the road bandits, the physical potentials of a normal person in this world should be about three to five times than my creator's world. With a certain amount of exercise, a person should be able to jump four meters in height, and hit with a force of fifteen thousand newtons. After defeating three waves of bandits and one giant beast, food and water are temporarily secured for this trip."

"From the direction toward which the bandits pointed in the past few days, this is the way to the capital."

In the same instant, the ground beneath Hei shatters into hundreds of pieces. An awkward-looking giant beast shoots out from the underground and lands right in front of Hei.

If the beast can think, then it is clearly expecting a frightened prey in front of it.

However, it seems like it will be severely disappointed.

The human in front of him is calming the horse with an expression of indifference. The red apple is still in his left hand. Looking at the beast, and then turning toward his goods on the horseback, Hei walks calmly toward one of the bags he has, takes out a small rug, and –

He wipes the dirt off his apple.

"Even though I cannot taste the soil on the fruit, I would still prefer a cleaner desert."

…

And the beast continuous to stare ferociously at Hei.

…

CHOMP.

Hei bites down another piece of apple in his hand.

…

"Ahhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa!"

Before Hei reacts to the current situation further, the voice of a young boy crashes out from the back of the beast. In an instant, the beast in front of Hei is separated into many pieces. The blood of the beast reflects the shinning sun light into Hei's eyes, and the picture of the blood-spill looks as beautiful as the summer rose.

"Hi there! Are you alright? That was really dangerous!"

A young man steps out from the corpse of the danger beast, scratching his head with a smile forming on his face.

Just as he is about to continue with his conversation, something immediately stops him from proceeding with his communication.

The man he just saved is currently kneeling in front of the corpse and collecting the blood into a small container of his.

"Um… Mister…"

Unknowingly, this young boy seems rather pitiful in this type of situation. He had just been ignored by the man he had saved.

After collecting about five hundred milliliters of blood sample, Hei stands up in front of this young man, observing him behind his glasses.

"I am Tatsumi, I come from a small village on the northern side of the empire."

Not knowing the reason, Tatsumi offers his hand to this complete stranger.

…

Observing the young man in front of him again, Hei turns his head and looks into Tatsumi's eyes.

And Tatsumi immediately feels a chill developed inside his body.

From the emotionless eyes Hei is displaying, Tatsumi feels as if he is currently standing in a frozen winter without any clothes on his body.

"I am Hei."

That is cold.

"Woah… he is… so cold. It that what they called 'the momentum of the strong'?" Tatsumi wipes his cold sweat from his forehead, and proceeds with his previous conversation, "Um… Would you tell me if… this is the way to the capital?"

"Yes."

"Um… Thank you… very much…"

Shrugging his shoulders, Tatsumi knows that he had just been defeated psychologically by the man he had saved a few minutes ago.

But will he give up so easily? No.

"So… where do you come from?" Tatsumi puts on another heartwarming smile.

"…"

No reply.

"The weather is great today, right?"

"…"

"Why did you collect the blood of that beast back there?"

"…"

"So…"

…

After about half a minute, cold sweat has covered the entirety of young boy's back. Facing that unmovable face, Tatsumi finally gives up on finding a way to communicate with this Hei.

"We are here."

The duo stops in front of a magnificent gate…

The capital.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Hei, the Empire's Most Wanted

The towering walls of the capital look like the stands supporting between the heaven from the grounds of earth. The swarthy color of the material gives everyone the feeling that the walls are made of steel instead of stones. The spiritless soldiers under the gate cannot deny the majestic appearance of the city itself.

From the upcoming citizens of this city, the market places are crowded with overwhelmingly unique products for the boy from the village. Sensing for potential danger around the area, Hei carefully observes the environment around him, while Tatsumi…

"Woahhhh! So, this is the capital! It looks so awesome!"

Is that the natural reaction to a large city from someone who has never seen one in his life? Even if this is his first time, the reaction of Tatsumi is quickly making him looking like a complete idiot. Even Hei decides to turn around and fix his glasses, as if the glasses can reflect all the distain from the eyes of the crowd.

Calmly focusing on the city wall, Hei takes out another apple from his bag, and starts to inspect the posters on the side of the wall.

Empire's Most Wanted!

That man on the picture looks a bit like Hei…

Looking at where Hei is observing, Tatsumi also saw the picture. Turning his head, he discreetly compares Hei's looks and the picture on the wall.

"Hei! Come and look at… Mmmph…"

Emotionlessly gagging Tatsumi with his left hand, Hei takes a bite from the apple in his right hand.

"Only your misconception."

"Mmmph?!"

Hei takes off his left hand.

"Oh… um… okay… That makes sense… You are not even from the capital… and I guess it's quite impossible to know the most wanted criminal as the first person you met in the city…"

Shrugging his shoulders, Tatsumi looks unsatisfied toward Hei's reaction to his supposed humor.

"So… let's go."

Hei walks to the apathetic gate guard, and takes out a small bag of coins from his side pocket.

"Would you please tell me who this man is?" Hei points to the wanted poster on the side of the wall.

"Hmm? What? Go away! I don't have time and energy to…"

The impatient was going to kick this young man out of his way, but then he noticed the small bag inside Hei's hand… After considerately taking in the small amount of bribe, the soldier starts to tell the stories of the man on the wanted poster.

"That man? He is the criminal legend living in the Elder Basin. The story says that he used only five hundred soldiers to slaughter more than thirteen thousand empire troops. Everyone is talking about him these days… Did you see the amount of prize on his head? I wish I can offer some information about him or even catch him alive… That way, I would not need to be a stupid gate guard anymore for the rest of my life…"

"…"

After listening to the story about himself, Hei turns around and walks into the capital with Tatsumi by his side. It is obvious that the security system of the capital is not so great, because the Empire's Most Wanted just walked passed the guards with a small bag of coins.

"Hei, why did you come to the capital?" distracted by the large number of people on the streets, Tatsumi already forgot that the man next to him is not good at communications.

"My reasons."

There's the monotone again.

"Um…so…um… I think we can call each other a friend, right?"

Where does Tatsumi gain the intelligence or courage to say that? The man next to him has not answer a single question with a thorough explanation, and Tatsumi is already trying to call him a friend?

"…"

Of course, there is no answer. Hei observes the young boy on his left side again, and continues to walk forward with his emotionless expression.

"Why do I sense such coldness in this crowded city…"

Tatsumi is feeling terrible right now.

"I, Tatsumi, came to the capital to save my village with my two friends!" He forces a smile to the hanging sun in the cloudless sky.

"The brighter the sun, the darker the shadow. You have just arrived into this unfamiliar environment, and you have already made a conclusion regarding it with such imprudence. I suppose this can only be classified as the inferiority of the human mind."

…

Looks like Tatsumi is going to have an unforgettable adventure.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 The Lion, the Reaper, and the Boy

"Um… Hei… what was that all about? I did not make any conclusions regarding anything back there…"

Catching up with the man in front of him, Tatsumi slowly examines Hei's facial expression, but of course, it seems that the man does not display anything interesting on his surface.

"The smile on your face was demonstrating your positive subconsciousness toward the future in this capital, while your actions suggested a great abundance of hope."

"And how is that a bad thing?"

…

"Fool."

Taking off his glasses, Hei slowly drifts into the massive population on the main street, while taking another bite from the apple in his hand.

CHOMP. CHOMP. CHOMP.

Not knowing why, but the way Hei eats his apple is just boring. Extremely boring. It seems like the only reason for Hei to eat the apple is that he is simply eating it, nothing else. It may sound stupid, but he is definitely not showing any sign of joy when he is chewing and swallowing that thing. Hei's eating gestures are more like a structured program than a person…

Unknowingly, the cold sweat starts to emerge on Tatsumi's forehead again.

"Why do I have the feeling that he is chewing on a block of ice instead of a red apple?"

Can you blame him? Hei is not Li, he is an incomplete clone of the black reaper, a clone without any senses of taste, smell, or emotions. From the cold expression with which he usually covers himself, he is, metaphorically, a block of frozen ice, because nothing in the world can make him feel personally happy, sad, angry, surprised, frightened, or other human affections.

…

Tatsumi has been in innumerable dangerous fights with all kinds of danger beasts, but none of which has brought him this type of feeling – a feeling of being completely defeated.

"Your expressions told me you want to join the military. The application location is there."

Ignoring Tatsumi's forced smile, Hei points to a small post on the other side of the street.

"Oh… yes… yes… okay… then… um… I will be gone for a while… can you wait for me right here?"

Deliberately studying the emotionless man, Tatsumi would really like a reply now.

Hei informally takes out a notebook and start drawing down numbers and diagrams that Tatsumi does not understand, while completely ignoring the former's request.

"I… think I will take that as a 'yes' then…"

Turning his stiff body, Tatsumi slowly walks toward the military post with a blank mind.

…

"Status followed. Position compromised. Angle of potential danger – 43.7 degrees south of east. Direct distance around 51.6 meters. With average human launching velocity in this world, this position will be approached in less than 4 seconds in the current traffic congestion."

Eyeing the tailgater from the reflecting of his glasses, Hei slowly draws down many calculations on his notebook, planning the details of his options for the potential conflict or escape.

All of a sudden, Hei closes the notebook in his hand, and directly takes a small step to the right side.

And Tatsumi is sent flying out of the military post, landing right at where Hei was standing a second ago.

"Ouch! That hurts!"

Attempting to get up, Tatsumi rubs the part of his back that received the most amount collision, while objectively looking completely embarrassed.

"…"

"Um… Hei, I can explain…"

"I know."

Turning his head aside, Hei decides to continue walking. Being tailgated is not a reason to stay put at the same position.

"I think you misunderstood me!"

"I have not."

"Then why aren't you looking at me?"

"Only your fallacy."

Turning his head to face the poor boy on the ground, Hei looks straight into Tatsumi's green eyes.

…

"AHHHHHH! Hei! Why do you have to be so mean!?"

Tatsumi helplessly shouts out his inner thoughts to the man in front of him, trying desperately to receive a word of encouragement or two.

"Nonsense."

…

"Hi, boys! Are you planning to become successful officers in the military?"

A blond woman casually walks out of the corner, viewing the drama caused by the two with her golden eyes. Her revealing outfit is definitely showing a large portion of her assets to everyone around her. Within a second, many men passing by the drama unintendedly refocus their eyes and stare at her beautiful body with empty minds.

"Um… And you are?"

"It's okay if you don't know who I am, Nee-san here can help you with your desires in the military. Do you want some advices?"

The blond woman quickly approaches the two young men and straightens her back, showing off her assets in front of the duo.

"Woah… Um… That's… huge…"

Tatsumi swallows his salvia before it comes out of his mouth, saying the embarrassing statement inadvertently.

Soon, he quickly realizes what he was doing, and a deep blush suddenly takes over his cheeks. Staring into a woman's breasts is not a polite thing to do here.

Not knowing how to act next, Tatsumi turns futilely to look at Hei, and Hei looks…

Just like Hei.

Nothing appeared on Hei's face. Not even a single flinch.

"Is he a priest or something?"

Tatsumi bites onto his lips, and then the picture of his impoverished village comes to his mind. Sighing heavily, he adjusts his expressions and faces the woman in front of him again.

"My goal is to save my village. How can I be distracted like that?"

Mentally slapping himself, he turns back toward the blond in front of him.

"Yes, my dream is to become a high-ranking officer in the military so I can raise enough money to save my village back home."

Tatsumi opens his mouth with a calmed voice.

"I can help you with your dreams," the blond turns her head to observe the expressionless Hei, "but you would need to buy me a drink first!"


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 The Thief and the Most Wanted

The lazy sunlight breaks through the windows of the small pub on one side of the town, lighting up the gloomy atmosphere in this compacted space. Such lights are similar to the likes of silk robes, beautiful yet comforting. Not only is this place ideal for cooling off in summer times, but also is it surrounded by a relatively peaceful environment for drinking.

That's why Leone loves this place.

Especially if she's not the one to pay.

"Woah! That was refreshing!" Judging from the drinking gesture, Leone is definitely not the typical drunk who wastes their lives on the side of the roads. Her athletic body shape with her outstanding assets can guarantee a unique sense of charm when she is letting loose on her drinks.

Just as she is going to take another round with her 0.3-gallon monstrous bottle, her instincts kick in as they tell her that the man on the other side of the table has something to say.

"This is definitely refreshing… Would you like some as well?"

"No, no, no thank you… That's not what I was going to say…"

Tatsumi twitches his eyelids as he holds up his hands.

"So… Can you tell me the secret to being an officer now?"

Holding the table firmly, he locks his eyes with those of Leone's.

"Oh, yeah, that's right."

As if she has suddenly realized something important, Leone throws a mysterious smile back at the innocent boy in front of her.

"The secrets to being an officer," she lowers her voice significantly, "are contacts and money. Without anyone of them, you will have a hard time becoming an officer in the military."

Taking notice of the serious attention she is receiving from the boy, Leone continues with her statement.

"If you can pass me some coins of yours, then it would be really easy for me to contact my friend in the military. In the end, my friend will take care of everything for you in a short period of time."

She extends one of her finger outward, trying to capture the attention of the innocent boy.

"The intensity of the population outside of the commanding post suggests that the people desiring to be in the military composed of the ones not just from outside of the city. The people living inside this city were also waiting in line for their chances. Due to the high living standards of the capital itself, the residents here should all have some form of connection with the central government and enough money to afford land and public services. If a single villager can be admitted into the military with such ease, then it is imperative for your friend to be with the higher ranking generals. In that case, you will also be in relation to this general, which indicates the possible identities of yours can either be those related to the politicians or those in the military. Either way, you would have had enough economic foundation to afford better alcoholic beverages than the wines in this small pub. In the essence, the clothes you are wearing reflects an approximated age of more than three years, which is not aligned with the traditional protocols of the politicians or the military officials. You may have decided to wear this clothing without the consent of your superiors, but your increasing heart rate and your body temperature tells me otherwise. As a result, young lady,"

Looking up from his notebook, Hei's monotone strikes to a pause.

"Why are you lying?"

Just as Tatsumi is taking out all of the money Leone required earlier from his baggage, a small break emerges from the trio. The time seems stopped for a second or two.

"Damn."

With an expression of complete shock toward Hei followed by a short smirk toward Tatsumi, and before the latter can react to the situation in front of him, Leone sweeps the money bag on top of the table with her long arms and dashes outside.

"AHHHHH! My Money! Damn Thief!"

Five seconds after the fact, Tatsumi finally realizes what just happened in front of him. Burning with anger, the young lad charges toward Leone's direction with his long sword on his back.

Taking everything into his views, Hei turns his head and decides to continue his work in his notebook.

After half of a minute…

"Welcome!"

The cheerful voice can only be contrasted with a Tatsumi overwhelmed with internal misery.

"I lost her…"

"Predictable. She is definitely more familiarized with the layout of the capital than you are."

Concluding completely objectively, Hei's statement only adds another shade of embarrassment onto Tatsumi's face.

Is this Tatsumi's fault? Partially. If he had not been so naïve in trusting complete strangers, then he would have not been cheated so easily. Talking about cheating, this basic level of deception should be discovered in the first instant…

But Tatsumi fell for it.

"Instead of shaming yourself into a complete idiot, the better action should be thinking of a way to pay for the wine the woman had consumed."

…

…

…

"Um… Hei… do you have any money?"

"Spent all of them at the entrance gate."

"What…"

It seems like every question Tatsumi asks will end with an irrefutable answer from Hei; however, no matter what, the owner is still waiting to be paid.

Searching through everything he has, Tatsumi finally gathers enough money for the staring owner; however, it seems like the poor boy is completely depleted now.

Not noticing what Tatsumi is doing, Hei turns his head to the dark orange sky outside of the pub.

"Stars."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 Stars? Stars.

So, the simple question right now is, does Hei really have no money at all? From all the bandits and danger beasts Hei has killed on the way to the capital, it is natural for him to accumulate some savings. Logically speaking, is it really wise to give out all your money at the entrance gate?

Of course not.

Did Hei lie to Tatsumi? The answer is positive. Why did he lie to a naïve boy that is completely broke in this unfamiliar environment? Does he have any conscious?

That is an interesting question.

The reason is simple: Hei does not care. An artificial human being does understanding the concepts of kindness and share, but understanding does not mean pursuing. Strictly speaking, the relationship between Hei and Tatsumi was never that of mutualism. Analyzing what Hei has done to Tatsumi and what Tatsumi has done to Hei, Hei was completely using the innocent boy as a distraction from his own criminal records. The relationship can be described as something between commensalism and parasitism. For humans, this relationship can be easily classified as disgusting or just purely evil, but Hei does not give a crap.

It was Tatsumi's idea to buy the blond lady a drink, it was Tatsumi who wanted to join the military, it was Tatsumi's money, and it was Tatsumi's naivety that caused him his own properties.

Hei is the empire's Most Wanted; therefore, it would be extremely hard for him to establish a stable income source in the capital itself. Even though it can be done with his supernatural thinking skills, it is always safe to have a financial backup before he does anything.

As a result, why would Hei pay for Tatsumi's little misfortune? He has enough trouble himself.

"So, Hei, let's just rest here tonight. We will come up with something tomorrow, right?"

Passing over a thick overcoat to the man in front of him, Tatsumi decides to lean against the statue in the Central Square.

"I guess I will just have to try the military again tomorrow…" Holding up his head, the boy murmurs quietly to himself.

"Not worthwhile."

Taking over Tatsumi's overcoat, Hei also leans on the side of the statue. Perhaps as appreciation, Hei continues to answer Tatsumi's inner struggle.

"High chance of fatality, hard work, and no promise of retirement benefits. If you would like to gather financial aid to your village, it would be easier to start a trading business. With your hunting skills, merchants will be very willing to accept your partnership. Furthermore, as a freelancer, you can have absolute control over your choice of action, lowering the chance of fatality, the time span of unending workload, and the possibility of no financial savings after retirement."

"No, no, no, Hei, I think you misunderstood my intentions. The heavy taxation from the capital is depriving everything my village has to offer. What I want is political power, and being a high-ranking officer will probably grant me the chance to change the heavy taxes…"

"So many stars."

Maybe Hei was not listening to Tatsumi from the first place, but it was his instincts that cut the young boy's statement off.

Tatsumi drops his baggage onto the ground, dumbfounded.

Due to the fact that Hei took off his glasses just now, Tatsumi can clearly see Hei's eyes without any obstacles. From his experience, Tatsumi can tell that pair of dark eyes are definitely expressing something. Is it contentment? Is it confusion? Is it loneliness? It is really hard to tell. Maybe it is a mixture of all three, but perhaps even Hei himself cannot answer that question.

"Stars?" Turning his head again, Tatsumi looks up to the night sky. "So many" is definitely exaggerating. Only about six to seven loosely packed stars can be clearly seen in the middle of the night.

…

"Is that a lot? Wow, Hei, you really have no idea about stars, do you?" Feeling that he finally knows something Hei does not, Tatsumi puts on his refreshing smile again, "In my village, you can see layers after layers of shining stars like a mattress covering the universe. It is really beautiful."

"Your village is a good place."

…

Stunned. Completely stunned. Is that admiration Tatsumi is hearing? Admiration from this emotionless and analytical Hei? To Tatsumi, this sentence is earth-shattering and heaven-breaking, and a cold shiver quickly sneaks up his spine… Hei can be really, really scary when he is showing… emotions.

Wait, emotions? What?

No way.

No way.

…

"Um… I can show you one day when you visit my village…" Trying desperately to hold himself in one piece, Tatsumi decides to give a neutral response from that shocking statement.

"Oh?"

Eyeing the boy for a brief second, Hei turns his head toward the small group of stars again.

The quivering wind brings alongside the coolness of the night. Standing in the middle of the Central Square, Hei's mind is undergoing something that he does not understand.

"Why am I expressing a positive attitude toward an inanimate object? In fact, why am I expressing a positive attitude toward anything?"

Putting on his glasses slowly, Hei focus on the stars once again.

"What an incompetent reaction."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 The Night of Fate

Under the dimming road lights, a ray of heartwarming sunshine lays on top of Tatsumi's shoulder. When he finally holds his sleepy head up to the incoming warmth, he notices the face of an angel looking right at him. The diamond-like blue eyes are just as beautiful as the stars in the night sky.

And how is that possible?

"Hei… tell me… I'm not dead, am I?"

The vibrating tone slowly searches its way outside of Tatsumi's throat.

…

Turning his head to his side, Tatsumi notices his overcoat is folded and placed next to his baggage neatly. Hei is nowhere to be seen.

Is this a joke or something?

Rubbing his eyes, Tatsumi eventually convinces himself that this beautiful girl in front of him is not just his illusion… but what should he do right now? Noting his previous stupidity from the blond lady, Tatsumi starts to panic internally.

"Be careful, Tatsumi, she can be as evil as the lady this afternoon."

Trying to calm down, Tatsumi slowly observes this young maiden in front of him.

"Why are you sleeping on the streets? Even though it is early spring, the stone ground is still quite cold. If you are going to sleep here, you will eventually get sick." The angel-like smile gradually carries an expression of concern toward the innocent boy next to the statue, "How about coming with us? We can provide you warm shelter for tonight."

"I… don't have any money…" Tatsumi is completely flustered at the event happening to him, his logical part of the brain has stopped working since the sweet voice of the girl took over his eardrums.

"Of course. If you do, then you wouldn't be sleeping on the streets." The kindness of this girl is progressively approaching that of an angel. The innocent boy is slowly being captivated by her irritable nature.

…

"Our lady Aria is always kind toward homeless wanderers on the streets. Taking care of them has been a hobby of hers since a long time ago." The rider of the large carriage intervenes in this frozen situation.

"Do you want to sleep on the cold ground for the entire night? Warm beds will be at least ten times more comfortable than the stone streets." Another guard follows suit.

"I… guess…" It seems like Tatsumi has made his decision in this situation.

"Then come on. Let me help you with your baggage."

"Yes, she is definitely an angel." Tatsumi is back to the same old innocent boy again.

…

The night is peaceful.

At least on the surface.

Under the blurry moonlight, a figure in dark is soaring across rooftops after rooftops. When the moonlight finally shines on top of its face, the only visible item is a white mask. The design of the mask resembles that of the Black Reaper, as the eyes and the mouth all contribute to a sense of terror and cold-bloodedness. In fact, the lightning sign on the right eye only increases the intensity of grim on this figure.

"Information gathered regarding the Most Wanted."

Jumping from rooftops to rooftops, Hei continues to free-fun across the capital.

"Empire information incomplete. No official facial record. Data described as Gun-Slinger. No one recognizes my appearance. Military unaware of my presence in the capital. Misunderstanding toward my origins can be utilized as strategical advantage. Prevailing actions should be taken with the mask and without the usage of fire arms at all times."

The Black Reaper stops his investigation of the city, and jumps down into a narrow ally.

"Further precaution needed for further actions."

Suddenly, a significant thought comes across Hei, which immediately hinders his current movement.

"The boy. He has memories of my facial record. He will potentially be a member of the military."

…

"All potential threat must be eliminated."

The dark figure speedily disappears into the shadow of the night.

…

Eat, sleep, and train. These are the basics of the daily lives of the Night Raid assassins.

It seems quite boring; however, for unknown reasons, the young men and women of this organization are quite content with their lives. From their lively conversations, it is hard to say that these are the cold-blooded assassins that are causing fear inside this corrupted capital.

"Tell me. These are just some ordinary rich people, why do we need Bulat and Akame for this operation again? What a waste of energy for us…" A pinkette maiden is currently observing the environment in front of her from the high ground. A large gun-like machine is resting next to the young girl.

"Well, it is probably all for the speed of this operation. We want to clear away the targets quickly without any notice from the empire guards. So, stop your whining, Mine, get ready for the action coming up next." A pair of long arms from a blond woman hugs around the pinkette's petite head, her hands moving up and down, shaking the latter with a playful attitude.

"Such… a… nice… view…" A green-haired boy half-heartedly shoots out some strings from his right hand, while his eyes twitches constantly from the views of the two girls next to him.

"If you continue to look at where you are not supposed to look at, your eyes will disappear very soon, Lubbock." Even though Mine is having a full smile on her face right now, the tone just doesn't quite sound right…

"Haha, Lubbock, getting sneaky, no?"

The silence giant warrior behind the group finally opens his mouth; however, that tone of his… Is it mockery? Or is it Pampering?

Why is the atmosphere so strange all of a sudden?

"…"

"We are here."

An emotionless voice comes out of the black-haired girl leading the group, stopping the approaching party in the middle of the way.

The moonlight breaks down the night clouds, shooting its silk-like grace onto the girl in the front of the crowd. The alluring glow proceeds to reveal the mysterious appearance of the girl.

Crimson eyes. Long straight hair. Killer instinct.

The empire's most feared assassin.

Akame.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 The Sunshine Before the Storm

From the fancy gate, the sight of a large garden will come to any visitor's first view. The glossy marble floor is reflecting the many lights of the torches. Crimson roses are climbing onto the tender grass fields, and the smell of soil mixed with the flowers has taken over the primary atmosphere. This lovely garden can easily capture the hearts of any tired wanderers.

Further into the ginormous living sphere, the structure of an European residence can be easily observed through the outbreak of the clashing lights inside the small windows.

No doubt, this yard can only appear in the hands of the rich, of the upper-most class families in this material society; however, from the explanation of the kindly gentleman in front of Tatsumi, he can only be classified as a count at the most.

If even a count can process that much wealth, then what is left for the lower-class poor peasants, for the likes of Tatsumi?

Underdeveloped, economically backward, frozen, those are the descriptions for Tatsumi's little village, that piece of land on the edge of this world.

This is what disparity looks like.

"Oh, my dear Aria, this is not the first time you have done this."

As Tatsumi sits down on the living room, the middle-aged man with short white beard on the bottom of his chin smiles lightly. His statement indicates his identity as the father of the blond girl and the owner of this property.

"I'm just doing what is right. It is just a habit, dad. We can't just leave him starving out there." The young blond jumps into her father's bulky body, her face rubbing against his left arm.

A small chuckle is the man's reply. Looking at Tatsumi, his expression changes from kindness to curiousness.

"I believe you have already gotten to know my daughter Aria. Would you like to introduce yourself, young man?"

"I am Tatsumi. I come to the capital to join the military, so I can raise money to save my village in the far north." Grasping his gesture, Tatsumi raises his fist with a confident smile.

"Is that so… Well, it seems like you don't have a place to stay. Judging from your belongings, I don't think you have had anything to eat yet. You can find dinner in the dining room over there. Aria will show you your room after you have dinner."

Perhaps it is the confining smile on the family's expression, or perhaps it is Tatsumi's kind and naïve nature, the innocent boy suddenly believes that he is being accepted by the family of angels.

"Thank… Thank you very much."

…

Hanging from the side of the rooftop, a black shadow swiftly glides over the European mansion. Viewing the bright lights coming from the inside of the windows, it quietly lands onto one of the tree branches. Stretching out its robes, the figure carefully covers itself with the shadow of the leaves.

"Target acquired. Ground defense intensity excessively low. Spirit of guards below average. Equipment primal. Available assassination options more than ten."

Searching for the different lights coming out of the multiple windows, Hei quickly drifts from one tree branch to another, leaving no sound, no smell, and no traces.

"Normal light intensity observed. Areas of individual rooms estimated. Light position produces emerging shadows. Rate of increase or decrease can determine sizes of potential residences."

Searching inside his cape, Hei takes out a grappling wire hooking with a medium-sized battle knife. Within the blink of an eye, he utilizes this wire to ascend himself toward the fence of a balcony.

"Human metabolism will be slowed to the last quartile within the next hour. Best result will be hindered until then."

Holding on to the bottom of the balcony with his right hand, Hei recovers his grappling tool with his other hand. Closing his eyes, Hei pours every bit of attention in his body toward his hearings.

"Guard position across different floors acquired. Four footsteps out of ordinary guard velocity. Analyzing impacting sounds…"

Opening his eyes, Hei climbs onto the last window on the south side of the building.

"Exact target position located. Heart rate decreasing in abnormal speed, interesting. Human metabolism will be in lowest quartile within half an hour."

Redirecting all of his attention toward the control of his internal muscles, a small glow of red light covers Hei's dark eyes.

"Electron manipulation – type Delta. Environment evaluation."

Suddenly, the reality disappears in Hei's point of view. What comes instead is a picture of the mansion and its surroundings in complete particle-form.

To many, this scene can hardly be interpreted by a normal human perception, but for Hei, he can clearly use the flow and exchange of electrons in different bodies to acquire the information of his surroundings.

"Proceeding with…"

Just as Hei is about to continue his assassination, a sudden fluctuation occurs in Hei's particle world, which causes him to notice something different… something… special.

"…"

…

"This is the place then! Just look at the forests surrounding this mansion! There is absolutely no chance for the empire troops to notice us!" Leone exclaims her inner excitement with a glimpse of her smirk on her face.

"Sheele, you can approach from the side window over there. Akame, Lubbock, and Bulat can take care of the front door."

Rubbing her fists, the young blond is overstretching her privilege in ordering her teammates.

"And I will crash this party from the south side."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 The Black Reaper Returns

The air is wet. It brings a sense of discomfort to whomever that is currently being tormented in this room. The aimless fly is wandering around in the depressing atmosphere in an extremely discouraging fashion. The dimming light is not helping, either. It carries an illusionary headache onto the residents of this place. Looking like a warehouse, the room is filled with darkness, moisture, and smells of dead corpses.

There is Tatsumi.

"Ugh…" Trying to eliminate the dizziness in his head, the young boy gradually opens his green eyes. Contrasting to the dirty place, there is not a single mark of turbidity in his eyes.

"I… Where am I…" Tatsumi tries to straighten his body.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

The playful sound of metal chains pops into his ears as a result.

"What? What's this? Is this some type of a sick joke?" Seeing the metal chains on his wrists and legs, Tatsumi finally grasps the image of his surroundings for the first time.

"Wait… I was invited to a house by a young lady, then I had dinner at her house, and then I fell asleep…"

Subconsciously, the boy uses his hands to hold onto his sword on his back, but nothing is there.

A cold shiver begins to cramp up his restless body.

"What the hell is happening?!"

"Hehe… it seems like you are finally awake, Tatsumi. That's the name, right?"

The "angel-like" girl, Aria, just appears from the corner of the room. Keeping her hands behind her back, she mischievously tiptoes toward the boy on the corner of the room. The blond hair seems excessively dark in the night, and her blue eyes are filled with a distorted sense of excitement.

"Oh, is that the wrong name, rat? Such a shame, because I really, really dislike to remember the names of scums!" Picking up her dress, Aria charges her high-heels into a speedy swing, aiming right into Tatsumi's stomach.

"Danger!" Subconsciously noticing the incoming threat, Tatsumi tries to move himself out of the kick, but his body is not responding to his thoughts.

SMACK!

"Oooff! Ou…" Covering over his stomach with his arms, the young boy collapses onto the ground.

"Oh, it seems that the drugs are still in effect." Blond hair sagging, abusive contentment pours out of Aria's eyes like demons flying out of the gates of hell.

"More! More! Let's me be satisfied, Tatsumi!"

Inch by inch, Aria takes out what she has been holding behind her back. Reflecting the pale moonlight, a black whip slows find its way to Tatsumi's view.

"Why… Why are you doing this?" Disappointment, worry, confusion, and all kinds of emotions creeps into Tatsumi's heart. What is happening to the people in this capital?

"Because it is fun! Right? Let us continue our little game now, shall we?"

A devilish smirk slowly occupies that angel-like face.

…

"Target location reestablished."

Fixing the mask on his face, Hei peacefully looks at the old warehouse in front of him.

"Intruders detected. Operation progression speed must be factored into later actions."

"Electron manipulation – Type Delta."

Walking calmly toward the warehouse door, Hei carefully observes the environment around him. Utilizing his powers, the world changes into the composition of electrons again.

"Guard positions analyzed. Threat level determined. Proceeding with direct protocol."

Walking into the view of the moonlight, the Black Reaper quietly approaches the two guards in front of the old building. Even if he has not put his mask on to cover his face, the emotionless expression would still look just like the mask itself.

"You… What are you? Stop right there!"

The guard in front of the gate is clearly losing his senses. The view of the Black Reaper is leaving him with an intimidating image in his mind.

Walking like a ghost, Hei suddenly disappears in the view of the guard. Before anyone can react to this sudden supernatural process, a deep voice breaks into the fear and confusion of the guarding soldier.

"Electron manipulation – Type Alpha."

ZAP!

A surge of electric shock travels through the panic body of the losing soldier. In the next instant, his heart stops beating.

"What the…"

ZAP!

Another one.

The entire execution was so swift that no sound auditable to the surrounding guards was emitted. Brushing off the sweat from the dead soldier's forehead on his hands, Hei casually walks into the forbidden warehouse.

Pushing the door gently, the inside view of the room comes into Hei's eyes behind the mask.

What inside the room can only be described as darker than black.

Closing the door gently, the emotionless executioner silently comes to deliver his duty.

"Fools."


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 Meanwhile

The benevolent moon is still hanging in the center of the tranquil sky. Its majestic silver light brings the dark forest a mystic sense of adventure. Covering the laced hallway with its ray of might, the moonlight reflects the figure of a middle-aged woman into its presence. Her golden hair contrasts to the silver moonlight, but her matured beauty cannot be out-shined by this light of peace. Pacing along the road to the warehouse, she continues to hang onto her personal diary.

"Sigh… Why do I have such a unique addiction?" Stretching out her left hand to touch her cheeks, a faint red sign of excitement materializes on her face.

However, just a glimpse of thought – the thought of screaming, shouting, and suffering – can make her blood boil in such an uncontrollable manner.

"More! Yes! Definitely need more!" The evil smile suddenly takes over her gentle face, a nature of sadistic beauty overwhelms her surrounding environment.

SHUNK.

An abrupt cutting sound quickly destroys the peace and quietness of the night, which makes the beautiful lady frown at this sudden interruption.

"What could it be?"

It is rather normal for her to question the nature of the sound. In this time of the night, who would walk along the hallway to her beloved warehouse?

Coming back to the reality again, she tries to move her feet forward, but something seems wrong… Is she leaning forward?

PUFF.

Crimson blood is splattering out of her waist like a blowing waterpipe, her internal organs have decided to come out with the sudden events. Blood quickly fills the floor.

So that's where the sound came from.

Before the medicine lady lose all of her consciousness, she noticed something behind her. It was a young girl with glasses and purple hair. A giant scissor with bloodstains was resting on her hand.

"Night Raid…" Contently expressing her last words, she finally finishes the last journey of her life.

…

"Night… Raid… Why…"

Possibly due to the nature of husbands and wives, the father is choking upon the same words at this correspondent second.

"Why?"

The blond lion tightens her grapple onto the middle-aged man, her claws taking away his final breaths bit by bit.

"Heavenly curse, I presume."

"No… Please… Let… my daughter… go…"

"Oh, sorry, can't do that."

"Wh… What… Would you… murder… innocent children?" The bulky man is having more and more trouble breathing.

"Innocent? That a good joke." Smiling at her prey, the lion abruptly increases her strength to a new limit.

CRACK.

The sound of neck-breaking slowly lingers around the empty study room, conversing endlessly a dying sadness.

…

In the garden, behind the mansion, next to the forest…

Everywhere is being attacked by the assassins of Night Raid.

SLASH.

"Ahhhhhh! What the hell is this!?" Even though it is just a cut to the upper skin tissue, black incantation quickly develops around the area of the injury. Within a second, this frightened guard hastily falls onto the cold ground.

Murasame. The cursed sword. A single cut is the equivalence of death.

SHWAFF!

Unnoticeably, thin wires dance out of the hidden bushes from the side of the garden, cutting many baffled guards into many small pieces. The whole ground looks directly like a feast of the demons.

Cross Tail. The invisible artifice. Slicing enemies can be as easy as cutting vegetables.

"Damn, Lubbock. You are still as disgusting as usual…"

A pink-haired girl looks at the execution with a glimpse of antipathy, but soon carries on her own method of fatalities.

BANG!

A ray of energy blasts into the group of helpless soldiers. They may try to raise their defense armors, but dusts are the only remains left for the poor souls.

Pumpkin. The unstoppable equalizer. The tougher the mind, the stronger the burst.

Still, all of those aggressions can only be fitted into the sidelines. The real show is the man in the center of the battlefield.

SLASH!

Slicing widely with a swing of his own, the crimson spear stylishly pierces through the many bodies of the last unfortunate men.

Incursio. The demon himself.

As the party is coming to an end, the silver moonlight finally reveals the arrival of two other members of this team.

"Oh? That was fast. I guess I missed all the fun here…" Eyeing her companions, Leone puts on a wild smirk.

"Then let us go and catch that little rat."


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 An Unpleasant Encounter

If the mystic moonlight is the reoccurring symbol of the night, then toward what established fact is this moonlight trying to reflect? Is it the lively assassins? Or the Black Reaper? In fact, who else would come out in this time of the day?

What shouldn't one be in bed in this chilly night?

Perhaps that is what the noble girl is thinking at the very moment, because the smooth winds are gradually beginning to pick up on her meager clothes.

However, before she can go to sleep…

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

The bloody black whip is currently dancing around the young boy's unprotected body like a beast enjoying its delayed dinner.

SMACK!

"Ughr…" Enduring the last lash of the night, he finally utters a small sound of pain from his drying throat.

"How boring… you are not even reacting…" touching her left cheek with her free hand, the noble girl sighs listlessly at Tatsumi, "the other pets are decidedly more fun to play with…"

"Other… Others?"

Suddenly, an image of the emotionless Hei catches itself in the long lines of Tatsumi's thoughts. Where is that man? Did Aria capture him as well? Or did he slip off at just the right time to avoid this fate?

From the short interactions with Hei just not many hours ago, Tatsumi is fairly certain that Hei is not the type of person who would be fooled by the trickery of this blond demon in front of him. If Hei was there, he would probably see the lies behind that façade as soon as she started speaking.

Does that mean Hei just left Tatsumi alone in the dark? Most definitely. Considering his options, the innocent boy suddenly feels as if he is the most unfortunate person in the world. Being robbed, tricked, imprisoned, and beaten like a dog on just the first day in the capital. The only friend he had abandoned him on the side of the street… well, okay, Hei did not think of them as friends…

Is he really going to be tortured until his death by this sick family?

…

"Please… help me… I can't endure this anymore…"

Walking inside the warehouse, this is not the first time for some unfortunate soul to ask Hei for desperate help. Evaluating the conditions of these prisoners, they have been subjects of inhumane torture methods. Extreme measures of beating, whipping, piercing, and cutting can be reflected through the bruises, blood stains, and knife marks on their bodies. In addition, the conditions of several prisoners can be described as the works of the last stages of lethal contagious diseases.

Eyeing the victim hopelessly approaching him on the ground, Hei slowly walked toward the moving individual, and kneels down on his right knee. Tenderly calming the dying man by placing his right hand on the side of his neck, Hei advances to make an obvious gesture by pressing his left index finger against his own lips, or rather, the lip of his white mask, in order to convince the frightened man to keep quiet. Subsequently –

ZAP.

Holding the lifeless body in his right hand, Hei carefully lies the man onto the cold floor, just like the many bodies before him.

"Potential targets of obstructing operation, eliminated. Reaction of the crowd can attract unwanted attention."

The electric shock has been quick, and the death has been delivered with smoothness and the minimum quantity of pain possible. This is not kindness, well, at least not in Hei's eyes. The only reason for Hei to do so to every victim he has encountered is because he wanted no disturbance during his assassination. Prisoners can potentially draw the attention of the guards, and that would be problematic.

Standing up from his kneeling position, Hei glances at the last room in the building, the room of which his target has been kept.

As soon as he takes his first step toward the final room, something caused him to turn around in the middle of the all the corpses he produced just now.

No one can understand what the young man is thinking under the mask, but after a few seconds, a mechanical voice eventually makes its way out to the ambience.

"The human way of concluding my actions should be tested to further understand the subject of humanity; therefore –"

Making sure that his voice cannot be heard by the individuals in the last room, Hei eyes the victims of the implacable tortures one last time before proceeding onto his next step.

"Rest in peace."

…

Even though Tatsumi has been hoping for someone to discover him, even though Tatsumi has been asking for the end of the torture, even though Tatsumi has been praying silently to whomever he believes about his salvation…

He did not want THIS to happen.

"Who… who… are you?!" The blond maiden has been completely traumatized by the person in the black robe. Whoever he is, he is wearing a mask that looks like the massager of demons. Tatsumi himself has lost the strength to make a comment about this sudden intruder since the intense whipping ended a few minutes ago.

In fact, he is so frightened that he could not even murmur a single word.

ZAP.

And she fell.

Right in front of him.

The devil that had been whipping him to death a few minutes earlier.

Seeing the masked man placing the lifeless girl onto the frigid ground, an inauspicious feeling comes to his own mind.

"What… what… do you want?"

The man is clearly ignoring Tatsumi's shaking voice. Approaching him with steady footsteps, each sound of contact with the floor can be viewed as the final countdown for the clock of Tatsumi's life.

Stretching his right arm toward Tatsumi, a destined perception of fear overcomes the young boy's final mental barrier.

Closing his eyes, Tatsumi is getting ready to receive his final moment.

…

But that second did not come.

…

Something has caused Hei to stop at the last instinct. Something has caused Hei's superhuman mind to pause at the last step of his own operation.

Something dangerous.

Something exceptional.

Something… familiar?

"?!"

…

Slowly rotating his head, the view of a person comes to the edge of Hei's range of sight.

A pair of crimson eyes.


	21. Chapter 20

**Before this chapter starts, I want to appreciate all the views and reviews. This is my first story, and I do have a weird style of writing. For those who continue to check out this crossover, I want to thank you for your support. I am not a person who likes to write long chapters, as you can see. Each of my chapters will only contain between 700 and 1000 words, but I am currently trying to update at least once every three days. Schoolwork is picking up, and I cannot promise to keep posting chapters progressively; however, I will try my best. Again, thank you for your support.**

Chapter 20 Action. Begin.

What is coincidence? It does not resemble a situation when two people see each other on the streets, and then smile at each other at the same time. The real coincidence resides in a situation when you walk pass a corner, look up, and discover that a person with your similar personality is also looking at the same time.

Night is calm, but it is nowhere to be compared with the two staring at each other in this dark warehouse right now. It seems as much. Hei and Akame – it is, indeed, a weird situation for either of them. The emotionless empire assassin and the detached masked killer. Two sets of black clothes are engulfed by the blackness of the room. It seems as if two pieces of ice are clashing together in a world of turbulence, the duo continue to look at each other without a single reaction from the surrounding environment.

The red eyes are telling a tale of extermination.

The white mask is replying with a story of obliteration.

…

"Threat evaluated. Conducting immediate response."

Eyeing this sudden intruder, Hei completely disregarded the existence of Tatsumi.

"Enemy discovered. Proceeding with elimination."

Seeing this unknown identity, Akame entirely ignored the piles of bodies inside the room.

VZZZZT.

The deadly katana is unsheathed from the maiden's side. Reflecting the silver light of the moon, the katana itself is foreshadowing the fate of the souls coming into contact with itself. Akame precisely holds onto the familiar handle of the Murasame, while stepping out a small distance with absolute determination in her eyes.

Sensing the small movement of this unusual girl, Hei's mind is currently operating in an inhumane speed.

"Body mass established. Instantaneous acceleration can be determined through average force applied through current movement. Charging distance obtained. Estimated time interval for identity to approach into zone of danger instituted."

Micromanaging his body muscle into every small piece, Hei shifted his initial balance onto his right side. Turning his body ninety degrees, Hei effectively covers the movement of his left hand with his black robe.

Before anyone can have a second to blink, Akame has disappeared in front of Hei. The only thing left of her movement is the shadow of a silver line, caused by the incredible yielding speed of the weapon itself.

SLASH!

The silver shadow charges with its deadly momentum right onto the top of Hei's head.

Moving his head with his upper body, Hei dodges the attack at the last second, and stretches out his right arm to capture the girl's elbow. Borrowing her incoming momentum, Hei throws her onto his backside.

Even though Akame is currently airborne, she would not be easily thrown over. Ditching the slashing attack, Akame uses her legs to lock onto Hei's neck, and rotates her body with the force that Hei has applied onto her elbow. If Hei does not respond to this sudden change of assault, then his neck would be snapped in the next second.

"Force conserved."

Pressuring the rest of his body mass onto his left foot, Hei also leaps into the air, rotating his body corresponding to that of Akame's, escaping the deadly neck-lock.

Before either party can hit the ground, Hei's left moved.

"Vector components, -4.43, 0.52, -1.38."

A battle knife connected with a metal wire instantaneously shoots out from the left side of his robe, resulting in the illustration attack of the legendary spear-throwing Scorpion.

Just as the knife is about to pierce through Akame's right eye, battle instincts advance to swiftly take over her entire body, and an upward slash quickly dispelled the incoming danger.

Seeing that his initial attack did not achieve its purpose, Hei retrieves his battle knife with the metal wire attached.

BUMP.

BUMP.

Finally, this entangling pair comes to their first landing.

…

SLASH! PING! SLASH! SLASH! PING…

Unending rounds of contact directly follow the first blow. Maneuvering his throwing knife, Hei has already launched countless attacks within the very next moment.

Equally battle-efficient, Akame waves her blade like a pianist dancing on her keyboards. The Fantasie Impromptu cannot even be compared to the speed of the current battle exchanges.

Gradually adapting to their opponent's attacking patterns, both parties raise their rates of aggression.

And the fierce blows steadily turn into the waves of shadows.

…

"Is… that… Akame? Who… the hell is that man?!"

A green-haired boy unhinges his jaw – the battle rate in front of him has shocked him into a mental blackout.

"Hm… Equally trading attacks with Akame… this person is, indeed, very fast."

The armored warrior curiously observes the battlefield from a certain height, his inner excitement for battle has been ignited.

"Ughrrr… He's alright. Shall we help Akame?"

Embraced by a blond woman, a pinkette looks at the armored warrior with a sign of concern.

"Wow. Now that's a party…" The blond was going to continue, but a familiar body came into her range of sight before she can continue, "Oh crap."

PING!

Another equal exchange.

Just as Akame is about to charge in once again, a large hand is placed onto her head.

Looking at Leone with a confused expression, the conflict is interrupted.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Those Awkward Conversations

Is it a play on probability? Or is it just a stroke of luck? The woman whom Tatsumi could never forget is currently standing right in front of him. The poor boy has forgotten all of the beatings he had received in the last hour, while excitement and anger slowly saturate the young heart.

It feels like the second when you realize that the item for which you are looking in hours is just resting in your hands.

"Ugh… I finally found you! You big busty blond thief! Everything is your fault! I had to sleep on the streets, and then became abducted by a family of sick people, and almost beaten to death by their devilish daughter… Everything, everything, everything is your fault!" Seeing the familiar enemy, Tatsumi's blood starts to boil.

If one must find the ultimate reason for Tatsumi's misfortune, then that answer would lie within this attractive lion-like lady.

"You! It's you! That blond woman! I have found you! At last!"

Tears of contentment starts to flow down Tatsumi's cheeks.

"I will not let you get away this time! I will show you what it means to cross me!"

It seems like someone does not understand the difference between bravery and stupidity.

…

Finishing observing the idiotic Tatsumi, Akame turns to look at the blond lion again. Voices are not going to come out of her lungs, but her eyes are expressing everything: why wouldn't you let me kill this baffling idiot?

"Ah… yeah… about that… oh come on…. As a young man, you should be open-minded with your own coins when it comes to fair ladies."

…

Observing the situation in front of him, his own predicament has just become incredibly complex. Judging from the casual entrance of Leone, it is clear that the guards outside of the warehouse has been eliminated. Considering the ease shown on her face, it is right to assume that either the blond and the black-haired ladies are expert killers, or they have a backup team waiting somewhere outside.

"External factors inserted. Further information requires to be taken before calculating the more efficient course of action."

"Electron manipulation – Type Delta."

"?!"

Just as the entire world view changes from the dark room into a space of particles, something unexpected spontaneously materializes in Hei's eyes.

Instead of a world of moving electrons, something silver rushes into Hei's range of sight. Observing the incomplete shape, Hei can tell that the silver object is gradually forming into the outline of… a person?

What?

Is it?

The lack of understanding is making Hei logically unstable. He would not feel any standards of discomfort, but the unknown is always unsettling to a certain degree when combining with Hei's thoughtful planning behind his actions.

Observing from the silver light itself, it is not just simple photons. It cannot be classified as electrons either, as it does not process any negative charge. It is something that Hei has not seen before.

Rationally speaking, Hei should have his caution initiated when facing the unknown form of energy, but something about it… something inside this ray of light… something seems…

Intimate.

"Hei."

"?!"

Is it illusion? Is it hallucination? Did the silver energy just… talked?!

Being an artificial human, Hei is not supposed to sense emotions; however, his eyes widened at the calling of his name from that silver shadow… that form of a person.

Who is it? No, what is it?

Staggering forward, Hei unintendedly raises his eyes toward the center of the figure of light.

Becoming more and more stable, the figure begins to settle down upon the ground. As the silver light becomes more and more concentrated, the outline of the figure becomes more and more clear.

"Hei."

The calling is heard again.

This time, it is clearer, louder, and simpler.

It was not misconception or delusion – the figure did speak.

The outline is judgable now. The silver shadow has formed into the figure of a person. From the high intensity of the glow, one can conclude that this figure resembles a girl. The flowing long hair, the slender arms and legs, and the voice of femininity can all contribute to her characteristics.

"Hei."

Unanticipatedly, a small glimpse of purple arises.

And then, everything resolves back to the dark room again.

What the hell just happened?!

…

Searching almost inconceivably to find that glimpse of purple, Hei soon discovers that what resides at where the silver figure appeared is only a shade of crimson.

That familiar red eyes.

…

At the same time, the other members of Night Raid gradually move out of their hidings, and steps into the black room.

"It seems like we are having some problems. The empire soldiers are rushing this way," Mine looks at the blonde with an irritated expression while holding her Teigu in her arms, preparing to fire at any time, "Leone, you must speed it up. We have to go."

"Ugh, fine. Well, I guess we can take this boy with us," Leone smiles at Tatsumi playfully, and turns to look at the stoic Hei, "care to join us? You are severely outnumbered here."

"Hey! What are you saying? What do you mean by 'take this boy with us'? Where are you going?"

Looking at the gathering team, Tatsumi feels as if he has just gotten himself into a new string of trouble.

Surveying his surroundings, Hei notices that the woman named Leone is telling the truth. He has absolute confidence that his perfect calculations of manipulating his body movements can be utilized to overcome the girl he fought eventually, but too many additional factors are presented at the moment. It is hard to devise a plan when too much are unknown.

In addition, who was that silver figure?

Intentionally observing the black-haired girl again, Hei has just made his decisions.

A small nod is all he is showing.

"Perfect! Hey, Akame, let's have a competition on which one of us can bring the newbies back to our headquarters," formulating a big smile on her face, Leone jumps at the innocent boy, "I will take this one!"

"Wait! What are you –"

BANG!

And Tatsumi is back to his state of unconsciousness again.

"…"

Looking at Leone with her prey, Akame slowly walks up to the masked man in the room with Murasame in her arms.

"Why didn't you attack?"

This is probably the first time for Akame to ask a question like this. It seems like she is embarrassed by the fact that her enemy did not take the previous pause to propose a sneak attack on her or her teammates.

The crimson eyes are not conveying a stare of death anymore. Instead, they are showing a burning fire of confusion, anger, and disappointment.

"You are not an enemy."

Surprisingly, Hei decides to answer that question, and the emotionless deep voice in turn echoes around the room, greeting the other incomers with cold shivers.

"Oh?" Akame tilts her head to her left side, and hesitantly stretches out her right hand, "You, are weird."

"You, as well."


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 The Power of Logical Inferencing

"What is hiding behind that mask of his?"

This is the probably most important question for all Night Raid members.

Bulat is currently leading the team, as the assassins are currently retreating quickly in the middle of the night.

Viewing the dark paths in front of him, the armed warrior lets out a small sigh to himself, "Such a shame – this is not the correct time or place to challenge him into a fight."

Following the muscular man, the bosomy blonde is carrying an unconscious boy on her shoulders. Her expression exemplifies that sense of complacency and satisfaction.

"Hey, Sheele, do you think this is a good idea? I don't think it is safe to just show them our headquarters, and I think we should just kill them on the spot." The pink-haired girl is following closely behind the two towering teammates in front of her. Irritation and a small degree of worry are shown through her voices.

"… Hmm?" The girl with glasses looks at her companion. She seems a bit confused.

"Never mind."

Sheele turns to look at the unconscious boy in front of her, and then switches her view onto the masked man, and returns to the now-disturbed Mine, "Oh, them. I think they look quite decent."

"…"

A green-haired boy is following the group of girls in front of him. He seems quite indifferent about the current situation, as his eyes are constantly crawling up and down onto the ladies ahead of him.

"Lubbock! One more stare and you are dead!"

Not even wanting to turn back to her companions, Mine's experience and sniper instincts suddenly sensed the creepy glances from her back.

A few meters behind Lubbock, the crimson-eyed girl is moving in a steady pace. Each step of her movement seems to be filled with assurance. Following the group with no sound, Akame's job is to watch out for stalking enemies.

And of course, to watch this masked stranger.

"He was staring at me for a long time at the warehouse," Her mind is overflowing with confusion, "but he did not take the initiative to yield a surprise attack."

"What does he mean when he said I am not his enemy?" Stretching her senses out into the environment, she can feel that the black-robed man is a few meters behind her. He is following the group orderly without a glimpse of fear or hesitation.

"Have I met him before?" She attempts to search through her memories, but nothing particular is presented, "Why do I perceive something unique on this person?"

"…" Deciding to preserve her thoughts for now, Akame shifts her focus back to the environment around her group.

Eventually, questions will be answered.

Right?

…

And they are here.

…

"Headquarters." Hei looks at the building in front of him, the shape of which seems to be quite unorthodox. The so-called headquarters can be described as a mixture of polyhedrons. A dome on top and a shape similar to a rectangular-cylinder on the bottom. The large lake and the old stones are greeting any of its visitor with a beauty of nature and history.

"Operated environment about one thousand square kilometers, approximated rectangular surface rather obvious to foreign intruders, it is quite interesting for it to be unnoticed throughout the ages." Hei is carefully familiarizing himself with his predicament.

Noticing the Night Raid headquarters in the distance, he is already calculating his next evil plan for the total destruction of the group of young assassins, just like his suicidal plan for the revolutionary soldiers in the Elder Basin.

That was a joke.

Before the sun comes out from the edge of the sky, the group of assassins have arrived at their hideout.

…

"The normal consumption for assassins should be used to predict their further actions."

Hei slowly examines the room to which he was taken.

"Rest is mandatory before consulting with my future predicament."

…

"Damn it! Why do I have to watch those two men when I can appreciate the curves of women's body?"

Frustrating to his limits, Lubbock was tasked to keep an eye on Hei and Tatsumi.

"Hey, you do talk, right? Say something!" Looking at the unconscious Tatsumi on the bed, Lubbock turns to the Black Reaper. It seems like frustration does make people brave.

"You are Night Raid."

The deep voice comes out behind that pale mask again, the atmosphere suddenly drops a few degrees.

"Well," Lubbock quickly frames his face into an evil smile, "both of you have seen our faces, which can constitute to you being a threat to us. That means, we can kill you right now."

…

"Such ineptitude of the common masses."

Rotating his body to fully face Lubbock, Hei slowly reveals all of his mask in front of the green-haired boy.

"In the first instance, if you possess any desire to eliminate me as a threat, then you would have done so without revealing your hideout location. There are three potential reasons for you to bring us here. One, you require information. This is the most flawed reason, as you have come to fulfill one of your own assignments in the house of the nobles, so obtaining captives who serve as the playthings of wicked noblemen can only be perceived as something out of your original action plan. Two, you require an aspect on your next assassination. This reason can be ignored through the study of human morality. Assassination groups who consume skilled men as one-time commodities exist, and they view humans as resources. This is plausible, but your motive of the last assassination has sold you out. Your target is a duke, which can possibly possess two things you desire – material resources or political influence. You have not taken any physical possessions from the case; therefore, you were there for the elimination of political influence. The family has encountered many political scandals, but the empire still protects their loyal subjects, which constitutes that your actions are essentially against the empire. Observing the location and the structures of your headquarters, the engineering and the building of this place has been done with a solid foundation of wealth and influence. Holding on to that thought, the identities of your pathetic assassination group can be determined easily – you are part of the revolutionary army."

Completely overseeing the cold sweat and look of absolute desperation on Lubbock's face, Hei continues with his reckless denunciation of Lubbock's threat.

"This suggests my third assumption. You need recruitments, and we are your potential subjects."

…

…

…

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

"Absolutely perfect, Black Reaper" a middle-aged woman gradually appears into the room, a cigarette is currently burning on her mouth, "or shall I say, the Empire's Most Wanted?"


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23 Would You Like to Join Us?

The Empire's Most Wanted… the legendary Black Reaper. From Najenda's words before, Hei can clearly see two conclusions regarding his presence in the empire. One, there are revolutionary spies inside the Empire Army; two, Esdeath herself has somehow gathered the information regarding the characteristics and personality of Hei in the Elder Basin.

In fact, Najenda is currently powerless in her decision toward Hei's existence. The revolutionary army wants this Black Reaper, even though he murdered around five hundred soldiers of their own.

However, one thing is certain. By sacrificing five hundred revolutionary soldiers, this man obliterated more than thirteen thousand empire troops. As a result, the revolutionary army did, in essence, took a debatable victory in that battle.

As a matter of fact, the revolutionary headquarters did suppress Hei's accomplishments in the Elder Basin, and gave the glory to General Hector and his soldiers in order to preserve a high morale.

Such shameless action is currently making Najenda rather uncomfortable in front of the Black Reaper himself.

Nonetheless, now is not the time for those thoughts.

"Hei, am I right? I am Najenda, as you can see, the 'Boss' of Night Raid." Bringing Hei directly to the main room, the leader of the young assassins straightforwardly introduces herself.

"Hei."

Fixing his mask, the Black Reaper replies with his usual dry monotone, and unintendedly observes the smoking woman in front of him.

Najenda does not mind the impoliteness of the newcomer; on the other hand, she glances at the nervous Lubbock behind the Black Reaper with a stern look.

"I assume you understand why you are here?"

Secretly perceiving his environment with his powers from the BK-201, Hei turns back to the serious woman after ten seconds with an understanding of his surrounding dangers.

"Employment or eradication."

The answer is simple, but also extremely plain. In this instance, Najenda is a bit stunned at Hei's directness. She wants to explain something, but her mind fails to come up with anything to say.

Hei is right. The only two conclusions regarding this man in front of her are employment and eradication.

The reason is also simple. It all comes down to the formidable mind of Hei. The "Black Reaper", as higher-order revolutionary officials call him, has an absolutely superhuman intellect.

Such talent must be used. If not, then it must be eliminated, for nobody is willing to take the risk of having this man on their opposing side.

Silence falls upon the room.

Just as Najenda is about to speak again, something rudely interrupts the conversation.

"Hi, Boss, you are back already?"

The transparent water vapors on Leone's hair has brought the smell of nature into the serious room, cutting off the important conversation between Najenda and Hei.

At the same time, Sheele, Mine, Bulat, and Akame follow suit.

"Since everyone is here. I think we shall discuss the future of our guest."

Crossing her arms, Najenda sits back on her seat, and indulges herself into the telling of the battle of Elder Basin.

…

If one is watching the expressions of the Night Raid members, then he can definitely notice the changes on the expressions of the young assassins.

Indifference is the first emotion.

Shock gradually takes over the crowd.

At the end, horror is the only remaining reaction.

GULP.

The sound of swallowing distinctly shows itself into the quiet atmosphere, making it extremely abnormal.

"Are you certain this is the man?" the silent Bulat eventually becomes the first one to break the sound in such a strange mood.

"From the intelligence we have gathered, I am quite certain."

"That battle was unreal… This means, he has defeated the army of General Esdeath herself…"

"No. Not Esdeath herself. Soldiers extremely unformalized. The frontal assault was unimportant. The significant troops were only behind Esdeath's back. She would not have treated her elite army for five hundred soldiers."

Interrupting Sheele, Hei does not see the benefit of lying in his current predicament.

"Nature was the weapon. I merely ignited the powder."

"Wait, are you admitting the battle was completely your plan?"

Looking at the pinkette, Hei carefully nods his head as his reply.

"Woah…"

Psychologically defeated, the members of Night Raid finally realize with what they are dealing this entire time.

"Now, the most important question is," Najenda slowly shakes her head and refocuses on the masked man on the other side of the room, "would you like to join us?"


	25. Chapter 24

**Yes, I am a hypocrite. I have claimed that my chapters will be between 700 and 1000 words, but then this one happens, so… I am guilty.**

 **Other than that, I want to appreciate everyone once again. I do not have much ambition for my number of views, but I must say that every additional view and every small comment is encouraging me to continue this story. For those that are constantly checking my updates, I am very grateful for your support, and I will promise to keep up with my updates regularly on normal occasions.**

Chapter 24 Hei, the Undisputable Professor

Yes or no? That is a very hard question. From the root of the problem, what can Hei's attitude be? It seems like no one can easily see though that horrifying mask, which covers the man's inner most thoughts and personality.

This can potentially be a commitment for the rest of Hei's life.

Should he support the revolution or the empire? Or else, should he continue his aimless wandering just as Li did for many moons.

No matter which side he chooses, the opposing side will do everything to hunt him down. As a man of supernatural intellect, he is an asset for either side of the political struggle.

Is there a correct answer? Such question is quite difficult to answer. Morality, to many people, is only subjective. Can it be right to join one side and wrong to join the other side? Can the revolutionary army righteously justify their reason of struggle? Is the empire really rotten to the core that there is absolutely no way of healing it?

Do these questions even matter to Hei? The answer is negative. Hei is selfish – in fact, extremely selfish. Created without any means to trust others, Hei has been, is, and will use every bit of his mind to his own good. What does it matter if the empire is dark to its roots? What does it matter if people are living happily? Nothing can concern Hei. Hell, the man can't even enjoy the taste of food, because he has no taste whatsoever.

Therefore, this question is not about what is right and what is wrong. It is about what is logical – what can benefit Hei the most.

Does Hei have a backup plan if he chooses to reject Najenda's invitation? He probably does. Hei does not act unless he is certain that he has a way out. If he would openly reason his way through Lubbock's threats and get himself into this current situation, then you might as well assume that Hei has planned out everything probable option in front of him.

Casually sitting down on a chair, Hei lands his elbows on the sides of the armrests. Crossing his fingers, a response at last comes out of his vocal cords.

"Questions."

"Ah… hah…" Sighing heavily, the assassins are quite disappointed at Hei's response, but at the same time, it also grants them a glimpse of hope.

"Inform me your objectives."

"Ah, yes. The worldview from the perspective of the revolutionary army." Najenda has the longest history with her organization, and thus becomes the one to answer Hei's question.

"We believe that the empire has evolved into a tyranny with centralized power controlled in one person's hand. The people are dying out of low standards of living, the lack of food, the lack of housing, the lack of clothes, and the lack of the basic medical services. As the people are cheated by the government, they are obliged to rebel, and voice their struggle by a revolution. This is where we come in."

"Continue."

"We believe it is the Prime Minister who controls the power of the government, and he overstretches his power to deliver heavy taxes, unjust laws, and propaganda to glorify the empire authorities…"

"That would be all." Emotionlessly interrupting Najenda's explanations, Hei ignores the death stares from many members of this young group, crosses his arms, and proceeds to reply.

"You believe that the Prime Minister is deluding the common crowd with his lies; therefore, eliminating the Prime Minister would grant the people what they deserve, am I correct?"

"Yes."

…

Awkward silence falls upon the room. The atmosphere is soaked with nervousness from every member of Night Raid. Everyone is waiting for an answer from the Black Reaper.

Finally, he speaks.

"Such… ineptitude of the masses."

That… was an insult.

Anger and frustration immediately covers the young assassins' minds. Who does he think he is? How can he just insult their leader like that? If it wasn't for Najenda's calm expression, they would have tear this mask man apart a thousand times.

"Every society had, has, and will continue to have some form of adoration toward its authority. This is not the main focus, because you do not seem to understand the heart of the people. If the government is as broken as you described, then how come I do not see people protesting, rambling, and fight back on every corner of the streets? You misjudged human nature itself. Humans are weak. In fact, so weak that they will do anything to avoid discomfort and risks. If the government is oppressive, then they will hide, they will grasp their own living out of everything they can find. They do not want conflict, they do not want to sacrifice, and they will do everything from lying to themselves to lying to the ones around them to keep their lives intact. They do not have the confidence to revolt, they do not have the courage to stand up against what they believe is unjust, because they are already fallen. Their hearts poisoned, their minds broken. For years after years, they are taught to obey, they are taught to follow, they are taught to believe that they are living in their own purpose – a purpose that they do not even understand themselves. When crisis comes, the crowd will not stand up together, because every man only thinks for himself and those he loves, and this type of selfish love is only so shallow."

"Even if you do manage to fulfill that naïve and idealistic view of yours, what are you going to do afterward? Political struggle is within everything. People are greedy, and everyone has their own ambitions. If you successfully overcome all your obstacles and establish a government, how can you make it stable and long-lasting? Most likely, your internal political conflict will overwhelm your original beliefs. Former friends will turn into enemies, all just for the position of the high power. Jealousy will gradually overcome one another, and who says there could not be another civil war? And how does that benefit the people? In addition, how can you know that you will not turn into someone you despise? What type of government will you choose? What type of economy will you support? How much freedom should be given to the people? How much order should be established by your new laws? As a nation, how can you promise that your government will be better than the previous one? How will you handle ethnical conflicts? When in doubt, is it right to compromise small promises for the greater good? How can you define the greater good anyway? Have any of you considered anything regarding this future?"

Finishing his monotonic speech, Hei peacefully leans back on the chair. Silence falls upon the room of the assassins. The chilly breeze swiftly conquers the unguarded members of this young team. Cold sweat can be seen on everyone's forehead.

Speechless! Completely speechless!

If Hei is just talking nonsense, then no one would have been stunned. Perhaps Hei is being way too analytical, but his words are, in fact, containing certain merits. What does the revolutionary army have for its future plans? How will it accomplish those goals? Are they really the righteous side of this conflict? Even Najenda can sense the political dirtiness within the high officials.

"I do not know," the single-eyed leader answers with absolute honesty, "what would you do?"

"I do not care."

If it is just simple rudeness, then Najenda would probably be engulfed in anger, but her understanding of this man in front of her greatly increased after his monologue. He is right, as a wanderer, Hei does not care for anything. His skills are definitely enough for his own survival, and it is not his duty to be entangled with some glorious revolutions.

Folding her metal arm in front of her, Najenda is beginning to see where this conversation is going. It seems that Hei has already made his decision, and this would only mean a potential enemy for the revolutionary army.

Disappointment begins to show on the silver-haired woman's face, and she knows that if she cannot convince the Black Reaper to join her side, then she would have to eliminate him.

"I will help."

…

…

…

What?!

That's a joke, right?

Right?!


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 When is Hei the Scariest?

"I will help."

Three words. Simply three words. It does not matter if one understands them from the broader scheme or the narrower scheme – those direct words do not seem to trick anyone, right? If such simple words can be utilized by Hei to maneuvering others, then there isn't really any point for anyone to trust him at all.

In fact, is there really a way for the Night Raid members to trust him in the first place?

Dumbfounded by Hei's sudden outrageous reaction, Najenda finds herself in a position to lose all her words, again.

Sure, it is a great thing for the revolutionary army to gain a powerful ally such as Hei, but…

This entire thing just does not make any sense!

"I'm sorry, did you say you will help?"

"You heard me."

That's not good. No, that's not good at all. Having experienced so many compromises with her enemies, Najenda has always been ready for a sacrifice to be made. There is… how should she put it… absolutely no benefits for Hei in this negotiation. He has denounced everything the revolutionary army established. He even questioned the fundamental morals of her career!

And just like that.

This man just accepted her proposal – without hearing her proposal at all.

"Why?" Najenda couldn't help herself but ask, "You don't even believe in our cause? What benefit is there to you?"

"I have my own reasons."

Of course, we know that.

"No, this is unacceptable!" Finally losing her temper, Najenda switches on a frustrated expression. Her decision will determine the lives of all those young assassins around her. No mistakes can be made, especially when coming down to the Black Reaper.

How ironic. Minutes ago, the leader of the fearsome Night Raid assassins was still trying her very best to gather such a powerful ally. When he accepted the offer, however, she felt that she didn't want him anymore…

"I need a reason, an explanation, conditions for cooperation, something!"

If Hei was scary to the Night Raid members not long ago, then the wrath of their Boss can doubtlessly bring forth the definition of hell.

The room is so quiet that the heartbeats of the nervous assassins are easily audible.

"…"

"Such foolishness. I offered my help, but you would rather deny it without a clear explanation." Fixing his mask into a correct position, Hei's monotone does not even flinch the slightest bit, "I assume I will just need to specify a few conditions for my partnership then."

Hearing such terms, any normal negotiator would frown upon the potential conditions set by their collaborators, but apparently not Najenda.

"Yes, please list them." Strangely feeling a sense of accomplishment, Najenda resumes to her previous calmness, while completely ignoring another insult from the masked man.

"The mask stays on."

"No problem." No one currently knows the true looks of the Black Reaper. The only revolutionary soldier who saw Hei during the battle of Elder Basin was executed by Esdeath. The mask is Hei's personal freedom, and Najenda would absolutely respect Hei's choice, if that's what it takes to have Hei as a potential ally.

"I do not follow incompetent orders."

"Yes, I understand. This is also explained by the high officials in the revolutionary army." According to the will of her own boss, Najenda was supposed to offer higher positions inside the army if Hei is able to join her side. She had overheard that the higher officials do not want to keep Hei confined within Night Raid, because Hei's intellect can only be used to its fullest benefit when he possesses the control over an actual army. Heck, if Elder Basin cannot reflect Hei's supernatural tactician abilities, then what can?

However, Najenda also understands that trusting Hei with a higher position would bring a lot of risk into the revolution itself. As a cold-blooded killer, this masked man only cares for himself. This is confirmed, because he just claimed that he simply does not care for the empire or the revolution.

"I request the area two hundred meters east of the headquarters as my personal laboratory."

"This can be arranged." Honestly, Najenda was expecting something much worse, such as the power to command an army inside the revolutionary forces. Learning that Hei is not a man thirsty for power, the experienced leader internally dropped one of her greatest concerns, but the geography… just seems weird, "May I ask your reason for choosing that part of the forest? The location is not very hidden, and its proximity to the cliff is dangerous for natural landslides."

"Stars."

"Hmm? What?"

"You heard me." Looking to the east, a small sense of desire is gradually taking over the emotionless face under that deadly mask, "Stars are most viewable in this position."

"…"

"…"

…

Okay… That was certainly unexpected.

Unintentionally, Hei had just brought the young assassins of Night Raid through a strange wave of emotional rollercoaster.

The stoic, unforgiving, analytical Black Reaper likes to look at stars?!

I guess Hei is just full of surprises.

…

"Um… that's understandable, I guess…" Mentally wiping her cold sweat from her forehead, Najenda decides to change her views on this young man privately.

"What? Stars are delightful."

"…"

When is Hei the scariest? Not when he obliterates the enemy forces with only one-tenth of the opposing powers. Not when he analytically eliminates his enemies with his absolute intellect. Not when he releases all of his contractor powers, but…

When he does THAT.

THAT is scary.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Interlude

"So… is that all of your request?" Carefully phrasing her sentence, Najenda feels as if she is completely defeated by this unpredictable man.

A small nod precisely shows Hei's confirmation.

Even though there are dangerous factors in trusting the Black Reaper, the outcome can still be considered a huge success for the revolutionary army.

"Then, I guess we can proceed to introduction." Stretching her mechanical arm, Najenda points to the complaining pinkette.

"This is Mine, she is our long-range sniper. That green one is Lubbock, our trap expert. The other four main offensive members are Bulat, Leone, Sheele, and Akame. I believe you have encountered them before coming here."

"Of course, they are all Teigu users." Briefly introducing the young assassins to Hei, something directly interrupts her chain of thought, "are you a Teigu user as well?"

Wait, does Hei even know what a Teigu is?

"No."

Apparently, he does. Again, one shall never question the effectiveness of Hei's information gathering skills.

"Wait, what?! You are not a Teigu user?" Lubbock's jaw drops for the tenth time today.

"So, you were not fighting Akame with a Teigu from the very beginning?" Bulat takes over Lubbock's shocking expression, but the manly warrior's emotion soon changes from surprise to excitement – the desire for battle.

"That… was certainly impressive…" Leone is not that much different from Bulat and Lubbock, as her eyes widened at the moment when she realized of what this man is capable.

"Humph, that was just luck! I bet Akame can take him down in just a few more rounds." Mine crosses her arms at the reaction of her companions, but the small glimpse of hesitation in her voice has sold her out.

"…" Akame stays quiet as she was from the beginning of the meeting, but her crimson eyes have been locked onto the masked man since the moment she saw him. Something about this man is enlarging her curiosity. She still has questions, but those can wait.

"That is… fair." Najenda observes the masked man. He does not seem to be lying, which only increases her evaluation of his overall skills. Factoring this new piece of information into her analysis, Najenda is beginning to recognize how fortunate she is to have this man as an ally, "if you would like to have a Teigu, there are always some within the higher orders of the revolutionary army, I can arrange…"

"No need."

Okay, that settles it.

"Well, that would be all. May our cooperation be smooth and successful." Mentally deciding that she cannot handle the negotiation with Hei anymore, Najenda concludes the meeting hastily – talking to Hei is just so tiring.

"Ugh… Why do we have to have this guy on our tails? I feel that he is planning something extremely malicious toward us…" The Pinkette is clearly not content with the decision of her Boss.

"Mine, this is the order from the high officials." Sighing heavily, Najenda gently stands up from her seat as the younger girl pulls a dirty face on the Black Reaper.

"I guess this is it, then. Totally looking forward to working with you." Some unknown courage suddenly grasps the busty blonde as she tightly hugs Hei from the back of his seat, showing off her assets like the first time they met.

"…" Casually pushing Leone's arms away from him, Hei mechanically straightens his black jacket.

It is pretty clear that the little lion has not realized who this man is.

"Why so serious? Let us go and show some boiling blood of true men on the battlefield!" The exciting voice of Bulat finally takes over the gloomy atmosphere.

…

"Oh, congratulations on joining us." Out of nowhere, the purple-haired girl responds to the ongoing situation at last.

Sheele, it is a fact that you are a bit slow, but that decision was made about five minutes ago…

…

Rising up from his seat, Hei slowly walks toward the entrance of the room. Each step he takes is calculated to be extremely precise, and each breath he makes is mechanically controlled to the nearest biological second.

"One more thing."

The emotionless sound appears again.

"I will take care of the boy."

"Oh, him." Leone is the first one to realize to which boy Hei is referring, but a small extent of worry instantly takes over, "you are not going to kill him, are you? Come on, I owe him one, just keep him alive, even though I don't think he can become an assassin like the rest of us…"

"I will take care of that."

"Wait, take care of what?"

"His incompetence."

"That means you will keep him alive, right?"

"…"

"Don't just ignore me!"

"I did not."

"Then answer me!"

"I did."

"No, you did not!"

"Such ineptitude of masses."

"UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

…

Hei is fitting in just fine.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Hei, What in the World Have You Done?

How do the young assassins of Night Raid view the Black Reaper? That is an interesting question. Is it admiration? Fear? Annoyance? Maybe a mixture of all of them.

Even though he is a man who can utilize his resources to destroy a force twenty times greater than his own, even though he is a man who can accurately calculate every single movement of his opponents, even though he is a man who can control his bodily movements with absolute accuracy to the nearest centimeter, even though he is a man who is overpowered in political debate and analyzation…

HOW THE HELL DID HEI CREATE A LABORATORY IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST IN A SINGLE NIGHT?!

To build a laboratory upon a forest, accurate observations, measurements, planning, and design would need to be done to the extreme certainty. Air ventilation, environmental hazards, flammable objects, and other important factors must all be considered to the core. The major building project consists of the digging of solid foundations, the carrying of rocks and steel, the connecting among different materials, the assembling of structures, and everything else that is completely impossible to finish in just one night.

Is Hei going to tell them that he secretly used his Type-Gamma electron manipulation to magnetically control the abundant iron core below the visible surface in building this project? No.

But that's not what the problem is.

The problem is that whenever Leone or Lubbock wants to ask Hei about how he finished the incredible construction in just one night, all the reply they receive is that damned "ineptitude of masses".

That intolerable "ineptitude of masses".

It does not matter how smart or stupid you are. That sentence is just a complete insult on your intelligence. In fact, through subjective views, Hei has been insulting everybody's intelligence since the first day of his arrival in this world.

And just because of that, the rest of the Night Raid members are currently having their little private meeting.

"Ineptitude of masses, ineptitude of masses, ineptitude of masses…" Looking extremely frustrated and depressed, Lubbock steadily murmurs to himself, "whatever, we should just leave him be. He can do whatever he wants."

"But if you just watch him quietly, you can feel something mysterious and magnificent in his actions." The usually quiet Sheele slowly sets her book down on her knees, and softly speaks out in the defense of the newcomer.

"No, no, no! How can we tolerate that?! He's just a newbie that needs some discipline! We can't just let him disrespect us this entire time!" Crossing her hands in front of her, the prideful Mine looks at her defeated teammates with her disapproving eyes.

"We need food tomorrow." Taking another bite from the chicken leg in her hand, Akame is currently in her own fantasy land.

It seems like she has exactly zero comment on the potential vengeance plot against Hei.

"Yes, yes! That's it! You are a genius, Akame!" Jumping up at the sudden comment, a wicked grin takes over the petite cheeks of the pink-haired girl.

"We should take him to that place tomorrow," she says, "in the name of gathering food supplies!"

"Ugh, really? Isn't it Akame's turn to gather food? Why do we have to…"

Shaking his hands violently, the green-haired boy tries desperately to avoid this potential hassle.

"Then you come up with a plan!"

"What do you mean 'you come up with a plan'? It was your idea from the first place!"

…

Just as the bomb is about to be activated in this small room, the leader of this small group finally decides to intervene.

"Calm down, the two of you. Let's just all go to that place tomorrow. it would be exciting, no?"

Bulat is the one that has the absolute authority in this room, and his words are undoubtedly the final decision. His confirmation to Mine's evil plan directly earns the girl a smile of success in her heated debate.

Feeling that his world has been destroyed again, Lubbock weakly covers his head with his right hand, "Don't tell me I didn't warn you if things go wrong tomorrow…"

"By the way, isn't Hei 'educating' that new boy tonight?" Smiling sweetly at her fellow friends, Leone appears out of nowhere, firmly hugging Mine's shoulders with her long arms.

Educating?

By Hei?

Um…

At the same time, all of the Night Raid members unanimously decide to have a moment of silence for Tatsumi's future.

…

During the turbulent night, Leone can swear that she is constantly hearing screaming of horror from that confined laboratory.

Lubbock decides to cover himself with an extra set of blankets for absolutely no reason.

Grasping her pillow tightly, Mine wipes away another wave of cold sweat from her forehead.

…

In the next morning, just as the experienced Night Raid assassins are coming out of their individual rooms without any quality rests, the view of a familiar individual quickly emerges in their meeting room.

"Good morning, everyone!" A solid voice comes out of the young boy's lungs. His eyes are filled with determination and self-confidence. The innocent glare from the boy's eyes is no more, and the boy seems… matured? From the outer appearance of him, Tatsumi does not seem to have any physical transformation, but…

"When shall I receive my first assignment? I can't wait to slaughter those god-damned empire scums."

…

Hei, what in the world have you done?!


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 What a Wonderful Morning

"I am thoroughly excited toward what lies in front of me! It does not matter what we do, it does not matter how we do it. What matters is that we are doing what is necessary and right. We may bear blame to what we do not deserve, and we may be treated without fairness, but the world needs people like us, and I believe we can make our society a better place. In the end, we are the protector of men's future, and we are the dark knights!"

Speaking enthusiastically, Tatsumi extends his right hand into a firm fist. His eyes are reflecting the light of the shining sun of the clear morning. His voice is filled with inspiration and commitment. The gesture of the young boy precisely resembles that of a proud knight, and his words of revelation encourages his own spirit to rise above everyone else's.

"…"

"Poor boy, what has Hei done to you?" Leone is the first one to find herself a reaction to the situation in from of her. Tatsumi has… changed. Of course, the usual enthusiastic, positive, and naivety have not escaped from the boy, but she is certain those green eyes of his are convincing everyone that he is capable of taking lives.

"He did not do anything spectacular, he only attended my wounds like a friend."

"Wait… what? Did you say 'friend'?" It is Mine who now finds this answer unbelievable, those pink eyes of hers are not giving into what the young boy is saying.

"Yeah, of course! We met each other on the way to the capital. He helped me all the way before we depart for our own goals. Man, when I saw him in that demon Aria's warehouse, I thought he was going to kill me. Now I think about it, I'm rather certain he came to get me out of that hell. Last night, he even healed all my wounds from the beating Aria gave me. Isn't that friendship or what?"

First of all, Hei never really helped Tatsumi to get to the capital, he merely led the way. In addition, Hei did come to kill Tatsumi, but a certain sense of danger and the strange silver light that night made him change his mind. Furthermore, when did Hei ever think of Tatsumi as his friend again?

"No way! How can that gloomy bastard be friendly to anyone? All he thinks about is himself, and he might even be using you the entire time! Look at how incompetent you are – you can't even detect the true intentions of that duke's family, and you are saying that heartless killer is your friend?"

You know, Tatsumi, sometimes Mine has a point.

"How can you talk about him like that? He saved my life!" The green-eyed boy is not going down without a fight.

"I'm saying that he is a heartless bastard, what can you do about it?" The pinkette is also not going to let her pride be tainted by losing an argument.

CLICK.

The door to the meeting room opens at just the right time to tame the tension between the two arguing assassins. Reflecting the sunlight, the mask of the Black Reaper quickly finds its way into everyone's point of view.

"Hei, you are here!" Seeing his proclaimed "friend" upon Hei's entrance to the room, Tatsumi jumps to greet him with a wide smile, "They don't believe we are friends, Hei, but I don't care. You saved my life, and I will always see you as my best friend!"

"Paramecium."

"What?"

"No, even a paramecium knows the dangers of its environment. Your actions regarding the duke's family shows lower intelligence than a paramecium." Examining the young boy, Hei lets his logic complete his first statement of the morning.

"…" Being rejected by Hei, Tatsumi is currently feeling extremely stupid.

Hei, what are you doing? Tatsumi is currently on your side…

"See? He doesn't care about you!" Grinning at the embarrassed boy, a strong emotion of accomplishment takes over the pink-haired girl.

"Judging without absolute understanding of preconditions and parameters, your words also proved to be meaningless."

"You…" If it were not for Leone's strong arms, the Pumpkin is going to wreak some havoc today.

…

Walking toward the other side of the room, Hei casually takes out a notebook covered with convoluted symbols and expressions that nobody understands.

"Umm… Hei, today is the day for food gathering… so…" Trying to break the awkward silence in the room, Lubbock finally speaks out the young assassins' true intentions, "all of us will need to go to the small river under the waterfall to catch… catch fish."

"…" Switching his view from the paper to the green-haired boy, and switching his view back to the paper, Hei finally replies with his usual monotone, "Understood."

"Oh… Okay. We will be leaving very soon." Swallowing heartedly, Lubbock regains his focus on their plot of revenge.

"Perfect." Looks like a certain pinkette completely forgot about Hei's intolerable response a few minutes earlier, a wide smile quickly develops on her face, "then let's begin."

"…"


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Challenge?

The sun is shining brightly, and the wind is blowing tenderly. In this strange land, people with supernatural abilities are living with unreasonable danger beasts. If natural selection is the reason for the illogical anatomies of the creatures in this world, then the aggressive nature of the beasts can say a lot about their environments. The Theory of Evolution, no matter valid to the human biology or not, is absolutely able to apply to human society. Only the fittest will survive the cruel nature of the empire.

This is the order of living things. This is also the pattern of social order. It is, indeed, unfair in many terms, as the Law of the Jungle cannot provide any support to the weak; however, for any free spirit, a world where domination is based on power is the perfect model for living.

Subsequently, today, a group of Teigu users are going to catch fish.

Yes, that's right. Catch fish. Law of the Jungle, right?

"The weather is not bad." Stretching his arms, Tatsumi places his right hand over his range of view, while trying to enjoy the dazzling sun rays.

"By the way… how are we going to catch fish, Hei?"

"Fishing Rod." The man in black pulls out a long rod from his back.

"Um… What about me?"

"Improvise."

…

Perhaps due to their history and Tatsumi's belief that Hei saved his life, the young boy has already start to view the masked killer in from of him with a high degree of adoration and admiration. Since Hei healed the young boy's wounds from that night of supposed horror, Tatsumi has always been defending the Black Reaper in his arguments with the remaining Night Raid members. Well, namely Mine. More importantly, Hei is answering Tatsumi's questions now… To the green-eyed boy, it really does not matter how Hei answers him. As long as Hei is noticing his existence, Tatsumi is succeeding in his relational progress.

"Hei, have you fished before? You seem to have a lot of confidence in your actions."

Observing the fishing rod in his hand, Hei continues to walk forward, "No, but the process is mechanical, which is calculatable."

"Mmph." Failing to contain a small chuckle, a certain pinkette in front of the group bursts out her view of the ridiculous comment.

"This is my best decision of the month! How can anyone just adapt and learn to do something the first time? This will teach that bastard a lesson." Grinning widely, Mine's is currently very content with her ingenious payback plan.

"Hey, what you are laughing about? Hei knows what exactly he is doing!" And here it goes again.

"What? I didn't laugh. I don't know what you are talking about."

"No, I am most certain that I heard you just now!"

"Do you have evidence?"

"I… I don't need evidence! Hei taught me that one should trust their own intuition!"

No, Tatsumi, Hei trusts his intuition because he has that overpowered information-gathering Type-Delta electron manipulation. You, on the other hand…

That is not the point.

It has only been a few days since Tatsumi joined the Night Raid assassins, but he has already developed this displeasure with the most talented sniper in the team. The duo would argue over every single detail in their ordinary lives, especially topics regarding the Black Reaper.

Back to the group, the young assassins have brought their own fishing equipment. There are some fishing rods, fishing nets, but there are also some rather personal equipment, such as harpoons.

Lubbock is currently fixing his fishing net, but something suddenly hits him. Looking at his net, and then looking at Hei, the boy issues out a challenge.

"Hei, how about a competition? Since you are using a fishing rod, I will give you a head start."

Frowning upon the abrupt challenge, Hei looks at the peaceful river ahead before letting out a neutral answer.

"I do not mind."

With such a turn of events, many other Night Raid members have lost their interest in actual fishing. The rest of the young assassins speedily gather around the contesting pair upon Lubbock's calling for their little match.

To the young assassins, such entertainment should not remain unnoticed.

Lubbock is known for his expert control in setting up traps. Fishing has always been one of his strengths. Hei, on the other hand, has yet to catch a single fish up to this day.

"Well, then, what are waiting for?" Leone playfully jumps behind the two contestants, her eyes gazing across the harmonious river, blunt yet thoughtful.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Just as the competition is about to begin, Tatsumi bursts into a sudden emotional panic as something… irregular…. comes into his domain of sight.

"WHY DID SHE TAKE HER CLOTHES OFF?!"

Following the direction at which the green-eyed boy is pointing, a girl with only her undergarments is tranquilly walking toward the center of the crowd at the current moment.

Akame?!


	31. Chapter 30

**I am sorry, everyone. This is taking way to long. My original plan was to finish the fishing plot within two chapters, but details after details just kept getting in the way. I promise to finish this small story plot in the next chapter.**

 **Also, I am so bad at writing relationship scenes…**

 **Still, I want to thank you for all of your support.**

Chapter 30 That Small Desire

Pacing with her usual calmness, the shirtless Akame approaches the duo with pure impassiveness on her face. Each step she takes is measured with accuracy, showing rigidness in whatever she is planning to do.

"What, what, what… are you doing?!" Blushing deeply without any containment, Tatsumi unintentionally stumbles back to a piece of rock, but consequently trips and falls onto the muddy ground.

Seeming ignoring the naïve boy, the reactionless maiden continues her undisturbed progress, and finally stops in front of Hei and Lubbock.

"Woa… woah…" Dropping his jaw from its regular position, Lubbock is completely caught unguarded with Akame's sudden appearance. Even though she is still a teenager, certain parts of her body that are adequate to show her femininity are directly revealing her natural bodily beauty.

"Lubbock, if you are even thinking about anything dirty, I will rip out your eyeballs myself!" Yelling at the mindless boy, Mine lets out a disgusted glance at his current reaction.

Hei, however, is completely concentrating on his observation of the river's patterns. Is he aware of what is going on? Well, yes and no. Of course, the Black Reaper's senses allow him to gather information of his environment easily, so he had known that Akame took off her clothes before Tatsumi's idiotic shout. Yet, the lack of emotion prevents him from understanding what is so special about such action. To him, the only usage of clothing are disguise in blending and protection in conflicts. He does not care for what Akame's attire, as long as she is not hostile. Obviously, she is not.

When Akame stops beside Hei's position, the masked man is not even looking at her.

What is Akame thinking right now? As the deadliest assassin in Night Raid, she has her own unorthodox way to approach things in life. There are many things to which she holds importance, and among them are friends, the revolution, Murasame, her sister, and food. This constitutes to her strange method of catching fish. Perhaps it is enthusiasm that makes her five into the river personally, perhaps it is self-discipline that makes her train herself by swimming against the fish, but one thing is certain – she takes this action very, very seriously.

But something is different today.

Watching the Black Reaper from the distance, Akame must admit that she has been eyeing the man non-stop since their first encounter at the warehouse. Deliberately or not, something about this person is attracting to her.

"Is it the way he executes his actions?" Seeing Hei's merciless execution in the warehouse and hearing his uncompromising tactics in the Elder Basin, she feels as if she is seeing herself in this mysterious man sometimes. Who is he? Where does he come from? Why didn't he launch a surprise attack to escape on that fateful night? Why did he say she was "not an enemy"? An unexpected desire gradually grows within the young assassin's heart – she wants to see his eyes. Something in her mind is convincing her that his eyes will answer all of her questions. Just one glance.

Maybe, just maybe.

This is what gave her the strength to approach this man.

…

Standing by the Black Reaper quietly, Akame tilts her head to her left side, attempting to glance through the pale mask. Hei is still looking at the river in front of him, seemingly unaware of Akame's intentions. Carefully raising her hand to his chest level, she pauses upon her actions.

Time is slowing down at the moment. She can feel something inside her is urging herself to complete this action. The masked man is still not looking at her, unwilling to give away any hints to aid her actions or not. Her hand is only a few inches away from his mask, and a small mixture of fear and excitement is already overwhelming her mind…

Until she feels an obstacle between her index finger and that white mask.

Glancing at her hand, Akame finds her index finger stopped by a smooth black glove – Hei has raised his hand at the last second to prevent his mask from being taken away.

Ultimately turning his head to the young maiden, Hei observes the latter carefully behind his mask. He has made it clear to everyone that the mask stays on, and it will stay on. Disapproving her actions with his left hand, Hei gently guides Akame's fingers back to her side.

Blinking a few times, a dash of disappointment rushes through those crimson eyes.

"Maybe it is not the time yet."

Concluding her failed attempt, Akame turns to the river again – she has work to do.

"Aww, how cute. Our little Akame is interested in someone!" A certain blonde's sudden comment lastly breaks the morning silence. Leone jumps between the two, while her eyes are filled with mischievousness.

"No, she's not! How can Akame be interested in that bastard?" Mine angrily protests against Leone's argument, while her expression contains a large portion of shock.

"Hey, watch it! Who are you calling bastard?" Acting as Hei's number-one defender, Tatsumi automatically disregards everything that just happened, and enthusiastically indulges himself into the classic argument with the pinkette.

"Why, Hei, why? How can you just neglect a beautiful girl's compassionate touch when she is only in her underwear?" Of course, Lubbock.

"Ah, it's so good to be young." Shaking his head at his fellow assassins, Bulat lets out a deep sigh at the humorous scene.

"We can start now." Unaffected by the awkward statements around him, Hei's monotone again dominates the small group. His intention is clear – he has work to do.

"Fine, fine, whatever…" uncomfortably fixing his fishing net, Lubbock unwillingly takes his mind back to the competition he proposed earlier.

Noticing the circumstances around her, Akame turns her head to contemplate Hei once again, trying one last time to understand the mask before signifying a small nod to the Black Reaper.

For some unknown reason, Hei also advances to reply with a small nod.

And then, Akame dives into the river.

Let the hunt begin.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 Fish! Fish! Fish!

As the black-haired girl disappears in his range of sight, Hei impassively takes out his fishing rod from his back, and wires the equipment for his first target.

"You may start first, I will give you a ten-minute advantage." Smiling maliciously, the young assassin gives the promise to the Black Reaper with a sly nod.

"Oh." Casually swinging the fishing rod, the bait lands into the river with such comprehensive normalcy.

"Do be aware of this… I was the fishing champion in…"

SPLASH!

"Oh, I believe this is a specific type of Blue Herring, bizarre fish indeed." Holding his chin, Bulat expresses a small surprise to Hei's first prey.

Watching in awe, the green-haired boy mentally slaps himself, and directly realizes how ridiculous he looked before. Cleaning his throat, Lubbock tries to save himself of some dignity.

"Oh yeah. Blue Herring. I used to catch it in…"

SPLASH!

"Woah, that's a Ruby Trout! I thought those have left this river a few years ago!" This time, it is Leone who clamors out with shock.

"I apologize, I did not hear what you have said, do you want to repeat it?" Turning to glare at the green-haired competitor, Hei casually formulates his question.

"No… nothing…" Wiping off his sweat again, Lubbock replies with a forced smile.

"Oh."

SPLASH!

"Bone – Bone Marrow Fish! That – that's impossible! Aren't – aren't they extinct?!" Holding onto his dropping jaw, Lubbock is currently in a lot of pain. Mentally, metaphysically, however supernaturally possible.

"…" Bulat can only watch the scene with completely no control at all.

…

How did Hei do that? Well, that is a rather technical question to ask. In simpler terms, Hei's contractor powers provided him the necessary means to observe the motion patterns in the water. With the information concerning flow rate, pressure, wind velocity, population distribution, and other factors, Hei's brain can literately calculate the exact time and position to land each of his fishing bait like a supercomputer.

As a result, the muddy shore is absolutely overwhelmed with all kinds of fish in the short span of ten minutes. As for Lubbock? He had chosen to quietly forfeit at the five-minute mark.

And as a result, the green-haired boy is currently crying all over the place internally. Feeling so much regret in his initial challenge, Lubbock came to understand something as soon as Hei pulled out his fifth fish from the river – this man is an actual monster.

In this world of science and truth, the unending supply of the ridiculous quantities of fish just seems… not reasonable at all.

In order to prevent Hei from depleting the entire river in a single day, Leone lastly proceeds to speak out against Hei's "inhumane" method of fishing.

"Hei, that is enough, in fact, more than enough."

"Oh."

"You, you are finished – at last…" Seeing the reflecting of Hei's mask from the shining fish scales, Lubbock cannot even codify his words in the correct order anymore.

"Food, enough." At the same time, Akame just accomplished her goal. Coming out of the river with a small stunned look toward Hei's fishing conclusion, the crimson-eyed assassin's attention is fully occupied by the large stack of meat supplies.

When the sunlight shines upon her body, the water droplets from the clear river perfectly combines the girl's personal beauty with the nature's artistic creations. As the water gradually drips from her hair to her lower body, a layer of transparent decoration slowly furnishes her skin. In the golden sun rays, it is rather hard to differentiate if the girl has such shining skin or the sunlight has such a visual effect.

"Woah…" As the two young boys of the group, Tatsumi and Lubbock's attentions are immediately attracted by Akame's sudden display of elegance.

"Ah…... That's a lot of fish." Smiling at her companions, Sheele walks toward the center of the crowd, "What are we going to do with them?"

"That…. That's too much for us to handle!" Desperately shouting out her opinion, Mine could not believe that her ingenious revenge plan was defeated so easily. Unwilling to give in the smallest satisfaction to the latter, her attitude remains opposing to what Hei has done.

"Fish farming possible in the pond next to the main base." Hei is just stating a fact, and this is definitely not a personal attack toward Mine.

"But how are we going to carry them back?"

"…"

Looking at the large amount of fish he has captured, Hei gradually lets a small idea of his out to the daylight.

"Lubbock."

"Ye, Yes?"

"They are yours now."

"WHAT?!"

…

This is just not the day for him, is it?


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter 32 Dream

What is the difference between a normal human being and an artificial clone? As science progresses throughout the centuries, this question still remained unanswered. There are many methods of differentiating between the two, and most of them includes some sort of comparison between the conversation contents for the human and the clone. The problem with such experimental procedures, in essence, is subjectivity.

Do we know enough about ourselves to set the standards of humanity? There exists so many mysteries in our brains that we cannot answer. From where Hei came, humanity is a very interesting topic. Supposedly, contractors were not supposed to be classified as humans, but many contractors have displayed human judgements that involve an important aspect of ourselves – emotion. What about dolls? If contractors cannot even be labeled as human, then dolls can certainly not be any closer.

Some say that contractors are just incomplete dolls, which is reasonable to a certain degree, because the loss of emphasis on emotion during the transformation from humans to contractors do show the gradual evolvement toward the characteristics of dolls.

However, a number of dolls have undergone the processes of human evolution, which is very unnatural for the people of Hei's original world. Can dolls have desires? Some examples do support this argument. Are those subjective goals learned? Or do they exist from the very beginning? If they do exist from the very beginning, then what can be used to trigger them?

Hei has been thinking about the subject of humanity for quite a while now. Since his creation, the imperfect clone was well-informed on what humanity is. This is rather preposterous, it is just like explaining colors to blind men. Of course, it is possible for a blind man to understand all of the physical properties of colors – their electromagnetic wavelengths, their connotations in societies, and their reactions with outer objects, but do they really know what red looks like?

"Memory databank contains records of evolution in imperfect humans – dolls and contractors included." Talking to himself, Hei continues to work on the chemical tubes on his experimental table, "despite such successful conditions, the subjects do possess complete human brains."

"My mind is incomplete, and such a case do not contain any previous records."

Cleaning the last tube on the desk, Hei sets down his work, and notices the moonlight from the outside of his laboratory.

"But why does my subconsciousness hold stars precious?"

…

This is a day of many accomplishments for the members of Night Raid. To begin with, the large amount of food supplies Hei gathered in the morning will last for quite a while. More importantly, Hei has transformed the small pond next to the main base into a fish-farming facility. Even though there were protests from some of the girls about their usage of the pond previously, these arguments were taken down by Hei's lecture of artificial mutualism.

There are currently no assassination missions for the young group, which makes tonight a peaceful resting time for any upcoming missions.

By all means, the assassins should rest for any potential mission ahead of them.

And this is exactly what is happening.

Glancing at her katana again, Akame carefully places it within the reaching radius from her bed. From the large amount of fish storage, she has consumed another one of her large meals tonight. It is rather weird for a young girl to consume so much meat products, but Akame can be the exception.

Looking through her window, she can make out the outline of Hei's mysterious laboratory under the silver moonlight.

Reflecting on her own actions during the day, Akame's curiosity cannot be simply diminished by the works of time. Even though she wants to observe the Black Reaper's operations, Hei has made it clear during the day that he does not want to be disturbed during his experiments.

Lying down on her back, Akame gradually lets her mind lower its functionality – sleeping is mandatory for everyone, not even the deadliest assassin in the empire can deny this fact.

…

"Hei."

Waking up by a small calling from an unknown source, Akame suddenly sits up from her bed, only to discover that she is not in her room anymore. Instincts immediately takes over the young assassin as she searches quickly for the Murasame.

It isn't here.

She is lying on a colorful field – a grass field covered with flowers of all kinds.

The grassland seems to stretch into infinity itself, because the young maiden cannot discover any limit of its boundaries.

But that is not the only thing here.

Looking up at the dark sky, the view can only be described as an ocean of stars.

Shining silver stars.

Normally, Akame would not even care for the stars of the night sky, but something about those particular stars is different.

They appear to express… individual personalities?

Is that even possible?

Something about this scene is reminding her of somebody. That person who speaks fondly of nothing but stars.

"Hei?"

"Hei."

Turning her head swiftly, a glimpse of a strong light source shines into her crimson eyes.

Blinded by the sudden change of light, Akame tries fiercely to refocus on this shining author of light.

In the middle of the grass field, there sits a person.

Silver hair.

Violet eyes.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter 33 A Step to the Truth

What happens when one suddenly wakes up in the middle of a night upon finding themselves in the middle of nowhere, and facing an unknown stranger under a sky full of stars?

Confusion? Frustration? Fear? A composition of all three?

Perhaps for normal people, but definitely not for Akame.

In the middle of the grass field, the young assassin is currently quietly observing the girl in from of her.

"You are not Hei."

Barely moving her lips, the silver-haired girl peacefully sits on the ground, her hands on her knees, and her eyes looking down.

"Where is Hei?"

Asking quietly, the monotone of this girl in front of Akame reminds her of the man she is calling.

Emotionless, uncommunicative, direct, and peaceful.

She perfectly correlates the Black Reaper in her manners, her tone, and her spirit.

"Who are you?" Not answering from the silver-haired girl, Akame refutes her question with a question of her own.

As an assassin, one thing Akame learned throughout her career with the empire and the revolutionary army is to never trust in strangers. Anyone could potentially stab you in the back, and logic and intuition has been saving her from lethal traps again and again since the beginning of her life.

"…"

The conversation, upon Akame's question, is falling into a dead end. If neither of the two would like to cooperate, then neither of them would gain any answers from each other.

The atmosphere seems tight. The stars are shining in the background, indicating the many possibilities of this destined meeting.

Nobody is willing to compromise with each other, and nobody is willing to open up the conversation once again.

Patience is a virtue, but maybe not in this scenario.

Akame can wait. One of the most important traits of assassin is the ability to remain unmoved until the correct time comes. Locking her view onto the violet eyes on the opposing side, the young assassin caters herself into the process of reading the other's thoughts.

Usually, the enemy's eyes will tell her everything she needs to deliver her judgement. Intuition is the key to any successful assassin, and a superior skill of observation is required for any determination of threat levels.

But not this time.

Under that shade of purple, her eyes seem to stretch into the tunnel of infinite spaces. If one word must be used to describe her eyes, then that word would be emptiness.

It is the emptiness which no one with a goal in their lives would possess. It is the emptiness onto which the last shade of peace in an entire world of warfare could rely. It is the dimming star in the night sky, searching desperately yet remaining fatefully.

"Akame." Debating internally, the crimson-eyed assassin finally lashes out a compromising word. Surely, if this girl is not willing to cooperate, then it is essential to take the initiative. If she would like to receive the name of this girl, then deliberate means of communication should have a beginning.

"…" Unmoved by Akame's answer to her previous question, the silver-haired girl continues to put on a display of an empty void in her actions. Sometimes, it is rather hard to tell if she is living or not, considering the dull nature of her reactions.

"I know Hei."

It seems as if a star has fallen from the night sky, the violet-eyed girl reacts immediately as the sound of the name of the Black Reaper comes out of Akame's vocal cords.

"Hei?" A small glimpse of purpose rises in the endless void.

"Hei." Akame carefully answers.

"…"

"You name?" Akame was never a person with many words, and she is not going to change the fact just because she needs answers from a strange girl sitting in a flowery garden who is inquiring about the Empire's Most Wanted in a peculiar time of night.

Looking up for the first time, the silver-haired girl evidently straightens her back, and interchanges her first intentional glare at the assassin.

"Yin."

…

In the right moment, the sky has collapsed.

Shattering the glowing stars in every corner of the deep darkness, the sky itself is breaking apart. No one is certain about the true nature of such incident, but the two girls remain collected throughout the catastrophic disaster.

"It's time."

Raising her eyebrow in confusion, Akame suddenly finds her vision of this world darkening as the sky extends its border onto the flowing field.

"Hei."

That is the girl's last word before Akame wakes up in the middle of the night.


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 Shall We Engage in Jolly Cooperation?

It does not matter what perspective you take, Hei's line of actions are hardly acceptable. In a certain world view, Hei can be called a heretic. To a certain degree, Hei is an absolute Machiavellian. Seeing everything analytically, factoring them into his reality layout, and achieving the ends without noting the means are the primary descriptions to Hei's philosophy. Even in Night Raid, Hei's skepticism cannot find a common ground, since the young assassins do consider morality in their operations.

Even though they know that they could potentially be abandoned, be caught, or be executed one day, they still hold onto those around them as friends and family.

This is rather preposterous for Hei himself, because subjectivity creates divergence, and divergence evolves into conflict, and conflict is the ultimate trigger point for disintegration. Relationship development is unnecessary to the Black Reaper, because people are just means waiting to be used in Hei's plans.

Of course, Hei is not going to change the ways of living for the young assassins, because it is not his duty to spread his living philosophy onto the lives of others.

"Thirty three percent saline solution binding with danger beast blood should activate bacterial behavior."

Cautiously mixing the two types of liquids inside his cylindrical test cup, Hei changes his body focus into observing the reaction liquid behind that pale mask.

"Bacterial reaction hostile, not yet lethal, but adequate in biochemical warfare."

Taking out a small knife from the tool kit on the side of the wall, Hei casually slides through the body of the small creature on his experimental desk. Twitching lightly, the corpse is reacting to Hei's careful physical intervention on its central nervous system.

HISS…

The smell of burning corpse gradually overwhelms the room, making any normal human being choke upon such scorching taste, but Hei does not care. He simply does not have the sense of smell.

"Bacterial decomposition ideal for corpse handling."

Within five seconds, the body of the mammal-like creature decomposes completely.

"Hei, what are you doing?"

Who dares to interrupt the great experiment of Professor Hei? Do you not know that Hei will absolutely destroy anyone who disturbs his focus on scientific researches? Do you want your life to end in the most unsatisfying way possible?

That is a joke.

Turning his head to Akame, Hei pauses for a second, and replies accordingly.

"Bacteria testing."

"Our location is compromised. Lubbock has detected around eight intruders. Eliminate all of them." Not minding Hei's indifferent attitude, the young assassin explains the current situation in the same tone as Hei.

"Understood." Cleaning the remains of the creature, Hei casually walks toward Akame's direction.

…

Running through the compact forest, Hei is not prioritizing all of his focus into the intruders. Surely, it is rather dangerous for any assassin to underestimate their surroundings, but with Type-Delta electron manipulation… well…

"Target position estimated: five hundred thirty-two meters, twenty-four degrees north of west."

Hearing Hei's sudden comment, Akame unsheathes her Murasame and dashes forward, completely putting her trust into Hei's calculations.

What makes the deadly assassin believe in what Hei has to say?

"Hei."

"…" There is not reply, but Akame knows that the Black Reaper is listening.

"Who is Yin?"

Shifting his attention from the battlefield to Akame's words, Hei is momentarily stunned at the name she mentions. Stopping in the middle of the forest, the Black Reaper looks at the silent assassin with his eyes squinted behind his mask.

"…"

"I met her." Lowering her katana, the young maiden also stops upon Hei's reaction to her question, "in my dream."

"…"

Managing to take in this rather precipitous information, the Black Reaper needs time to analyze this bizarre change-of-event before he can formulate an appropriate answer.

"Li's memory suggests Yin's immense importance to himself and to the survival of the world, which constitutes greatly to the predicament of Akame's character." Indulging himself in thought, Hei judges the silent assassin in front of him once again, "the nature is strange. Abnormal contractor power overwhelms the logical time-space continuum. No evidence can suggest the existence of other contractors in this world. The stars are the proofs."

"Souls do not disappear from solidities or appear from voids, but traces their origins from the beginning of everything. What can possibly make possible of the creation and carrying of spirits?"

Before any further thought can be forged, a quick slash comes into the view of the Black Reaper.

A stranger with a knife in his hand falls lifelessly onto the ground.

"Focus, or you will die."

Ignoring the fact that Akame just saved his life, the masked man walks pass the corpse of the intruder with no reply at all, and leaves the crimson-eyed girl with her victim.

A small glimpse of disappointment finds its way into Akame's eyes.

"Come."

But it quickly melts away upon Hei's calling.

Shall we engage in jolly cooperation?


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 The Sunlight in the Winter

CRACK.

The sound of bone shattering echoes around the compact forest, sending a message of death into the intruders of these forbidden woods.

SLASH.

The silver katana cuts through another limping body, leaving behind a trail of crimson blood to mix with the soil on the dark grounds.

As the sound of the katana sheathing ends the last words of the next intruder, Akame lets out a light sigh.

The lives of humans are weak. For many years has Akame been comprehending the fragility of mankind. Many people have sacrificed their lives for some goal in which they believe due to merely following orders, but what else are they supposed to do? Is it right for innocent empire guards to lose their lives for the sake of a lie? Nothing can be certain.

How ironic, the person who has been continuously causing the death of others is no other than Akame herself.

Wielding such power, enough to make herself one of the most respected assassin in the revolutionary army, but sill apperceives the full sense of powerlessness when seeing the innumerable deaths of the lives she has ended, Akame can undergo emotional struggles from time to time.

Even though she hides it discreetly under that unmovable face.

"Is this why Hei never takes down his mask?" All of a sudden, the young assassin feels as if she understands the Black Reaper more than ever before.

Dissension.

Yet such conformity.

Akame does not have any regrets in becoming an assassin. She knows, since the very beginning, that people like her are meant to stain their hands with the blood of others.

"The past is only an attribute," a monotone miraculously connects Akame's train of thought with its own way of phrasing, "your choices were never subjective enough to be judged befittingly."

Turning toward the sound source, Akame notices that the Black Reaper still has his hands in his coat pockets, while his mask continues to reflect absolute indifference to their current situation.

Is that… consolation in his words?

This half-stated sentence of comfort mixed with Hei's signature monotone does not reflect much about concern and caring, but it is a thin ray of sunlight in Akame's narrow winter.

A sentence that is seemingly insignificant can mean a lot when stated in the correct moment.

The pale hand holding the scabbard of Murasame resorts to a tiny trembling upon those words.

"Your katana is inefficient for assertive counter-ambush measures, injury possibility for yourself greatly outnumbers potential rewards, therefore –" Gradually pulling his hands out of his pockets, the image of two pistols are reflected into Akame's crimson eyes, "Follow me."

If that is Hei's way of saying, "I will take the risk of frontal assault, and you can cover my back." Then he has done a horrible job at communicating such information.

For Hei, efficiency is the most important part in the field of battle tactics. Seeing every living being as a commodity, Hei only uses them to their full potentials in order to achieve the best result.

In this situation, Hei sees himself as the more efficient weapon than Akame in counter-ambush assaults, and logically places himself in front of the young assassin for further operations.

But that's not how Akame sees it.

Tightening her hold on the Murasame, Akame is covered in deep thought as Hei slowly walks pass her.

She has encountered many operations before with assassins of the empire and the revolutionary army, and she has been the best in most of those occasions. For years, she has relied on her incredible speed in her assassinations as her primary advantage, and she was ordered to be the frontal assault in the majority of these assignments due to no other than her efficiency in her line of work.

And yet this masked man is telling her to stay back, saying that her way of fighting is "inefficient."

A slight sense of confusion and discomfort swiftly pour into her eyes.

Before she can unsheathe her blade once again, the view of the Black Reaper comes directly into her line of sight.

Hei is standing in front of her within only a few inches.

Looking directly into the white mask, Akame is ready to deliver her way of protest against Hei's decision.

However, words never make pass the very start of her vocal cords.

She feels something on her right hand.

Looking directly down, she suddenly finds Hei's black gloves overlaying on her rigid fist.

"Trust me."

And her hand is finally loosened by that tender grip.


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter 36 Bonding Time? What?

Hei is currently walking slowly. Very slowly. Hanging his arms naturally on both sides of his body, he silently strides through another layer of bushes in front of him. His pace represents a rhythm – one that is harmonious and steady. Under such dull walking pattern, Hei's eyes never wandered off from his predicted target position.

The green bushes which Hei has been observing shakes upon the close approach of the Black Reaper.

SHOOP!

Two men in ethnic armory dashes straight out of the hidden plant, carrying their respective scimitars for their surprised assault.

"Targets established. Body mass estimated. Weapon danger analyzed. Instantaneous velocity will be taken in to calculation. Armory shows significant weakness in protective means."

Without a single sign of panicking, Hei swiftly switches his center force from his body to his legs, and pushes himself from the steady ground on which he stands. Rotating his body three hundred sixty degrees backward, Hei effectively evades the rushed horizontal slash from the two intruders. After successfully increasing the distance between the two attackers and himself, Hei's hands follows into his line of action.

"Bullet direction vector calculated."

BANG! BANG!

Two shots, two hits, two centers of their respective targets!

Unlike the time in Elder Basin, where Hei charged his bullets with high-voltage electricity, Hei decides to take the clear kill with just his pistols this time.

Before the two men can effectively cast a response to the Black Reaper, their bodies are no longer under their control anymore.

Landing on the ground carefully, Hei's line of sight continues to direct toward the upcoming forest.

SLASH!

As the shining blade cuts through the body of the fallen assassin behind Hei, Akame expressionlessly turns toward the Black Reaper, hoping to gain a certain response form the analytical man.

Is he going to thank Akame for saving his life? Apparently not.

Not even looking at the young assassin, Hei relentlessly ignores the existence of crimson-eyed girl – again.

Is Hei a grateful person? Of course not. If you would like to pursue the reason for his lack of reaction to Akame, then Hei would tell you that it is her job to cover his back; therefore, they are just fulfilling their respective duties.

And so, we come to the conclusion that Hei is an absolute jerk.

But on the other hand, can you blame him? He can't even be classified as a fully functional human being.

Blinking her eyes, Akame disappointedly follows the Black Reaper behind, attempting to search for an approval.

Focusing on his footsteps, the Black Reaper is currently leading the way through the dangerous forest for the duo, while the black-haired girl is following him completely silently.

No one is willing to initiate a conversation.

Rather than saying that the duo is searching for enemies, Hei and Akame looks more like a couple strolling in the beauty of nature after their afternoon tea. Even though it is currently nowhere near afternoon, even though neither of the two assassins have any special emotions toward each other, even though their weapons are residing right in their hands, this pairing atmosphere cannot, in any way, be more harmonious than this.

Suddenly, the Black Reaper cuts short of his pacing, and stops in the middle of nowhere.

"Particle unanimity disturbed. Component of potential danger ahead. Reaction plan initiated."

Wanting to step forward, Akame soon finds herself hindered by Hei's stretched left arm.

"Enemy sniper stationed."

Looking at the pale mask, Akame tilts her head to her left side, seemly asking the Black Reaper to let her handle such a threat.

"Unnecessary actions ineffective. You have a certain possibility to be injured. Stay here."

Thoughtfully glancing at Hei, and then turning to her Murasame, the young girl finds herself tightening her grip to her katana.

"Is he caring for me?" That is the first thought coming into Akame's mind. Unintendedly shifting her line of sight from Hei's mask to his left hand, a familiar feeling comes to her memory. Hei is known for his indifference toward everyone around him. Internally, Akame believes that even if Hei takes off his white mask, his emotionless facial expression will still cover up his internal thoughts like another layer of protection. Notwithstanding, something about this man is certainly interesting – such as his hands.

When Hei purposefully held Akame's hand before their cooperation began, Akame could clearly feel the heartwarming touch – but how is that even possible?

Reading Hei's unmovable mask again, the young assassin starts to ask herself the same question just like many days before – who is he?

For some reason, Akame has the urge to cut this man fully open with her blade and see what really lies inside that cold surface.

BANG!

Akame cannot see the target for which Hei was aiming.

But somehow, she knows, maybe by faith, that Hei has successfully eliminated the threat.

"Let's go."


	38. Chapter 37

**Hi, everyone. I want to apologize for my slower update than before. To be honest, school is really catching up with me. I will be busier as time progresses, but as I promised before, I will try my best to keep at least one update every three days.**

 **I have the future contents this story planned, but execution can only happen if time allows.**

 **And thank you for your continuing support, it really keeps me going.**

Chapter 37 Battlefield

"Hah!"

Tatsumi can only watch. Everything comes with such speed and efficiency. Minutes ago, he was still that confident young man who does not fear for anything on the battlefield, but now, the young boy is definitely astonished.

To think that this "big brother" of the Night Raid assassins has been caring for him, telling him that he has not familiarize himself with the fighting styles of the trained assassins just now, Tatsumi feels so conflicted as to this point.

Because he totally did not pay attention to what Bulat was instructing…

But that does not matter anymore.

"THAT WAS SO COOL!"

Observing the man who killed at least five assassins with his giant triangular red spear in just one swing, Tatsumi is overwhelmed.

"This, Tatsumi, is a Teigu! For a person that does not possess any powerful weapons, you must train hard to catch up with us!"

"Yes, bro!"

At least Hei can finally take a break from his dedicated fanboy now.

…

On the other side of the forest, a pinkette is currently laying on the ground, holding a giant gun between her arms, and focusing on something in the distance.

Isn't her position a little bit too exposed for a sniper?

"Go to Hell, Night Raid!"

Before Mine can pull the trigger, an enemy assassin dashes straight out of the hidden bushes from her back. Observing his soaked clothes, one can clearly tell that he has been hiding there for a long while.

"Idiot."

"What did you…"

SHUNK!

Before the assassin can finish his sentence, his body is cut in half by a reflective pair of scissors. Giant scissors.

Seeing the innards of her victim, a purple-haired girl walks toward the focused Mine from her back, smiling at her companion at the same time.

"Thanks, Sheele. I will show those idiots what it means…"

BANG!

A golden stream of light bursts from the end of the Pumpkin, shooting effortlessly through the branches after branches of obstacles. Like a giant flood, the pinkette sniper successfully eliminates her two targets without breaking a sweat.

"… to cross us."

No wonder some are willing to consider the Pumpkin to be the best Teigu among all of the ones Night Raid members possess.

…

Letting out a heavy sigh, a green-haired boy at somewhere else is debating on one the of hardest choices of his life.

"Please…"

Looking at the source of the light sound, a female assassin just fell into his webbing trap.

"Why do I always get the bad choice?"

Ranting about his current predicament, the young assassin looks at the woman inside his web of steel wires, and sighs again.

"You know, I really don't like to kill ladies…"

Hearing his words, the disparate assassin can almost see a glimpse of hope for her to grasp.

"But, what can I do? Sometimes, one must commit those actions against his will, so he can survive."

Watching the helpless woman once again, Lubbock switches on a cruel smile, and…

CRACK.

The steel wires easily cut through her flesh and separates the bones around her neck into small pieces within a single second.

"Such a shame. Why am I always the unlucky one?"

…

Walking through the deadly forest, the duo dressed in black have been searching for another round after they cleared the intruders in their respective area a few minutes ago.

It is not that Hei cannot use his Type-Delta Electron Manipulation to determine where the enemies are. In fact, Hei has already done that after Akame sent the last of the intruders to eternal rest.

It is just that... Hei has been observing the crimson-eyed girl behind him secretly by focusing all of his contractor powers onto the inside of her body through these patrols.

Yes, that is very rude and invasive.

But Hei doesn't care.

Unlike seeing normal electrons inside human bodies, whenever Hei concentrates his power to a certain degree, that strange surge of silver energy can always be seen.

"Interesting." The Black Reaper's eyes are clearly pointing toward what is ahead of him, but his mental focus is totally immersed inside the image of the silver light behind him.

"Physical quantity unstable. No natural science has any record on the formulation of such energy. Subject contains a certain degree of biological characteristics. Self-motivation inclined."

"While Akame declares her vision of Yin in her dreams, it is rather illogical, at least in the axioms of the traditional scientific world, to consider such encounter planned. To consider supernatural implications – "

Hei suddenly realizes something.

"Counterintuitive reasoning must be factorized."


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter 38 If the Chessboard is the World…

Nothing is certain. Nothing is coincidence, either. If mathematics can provide some degree of prediction to future events, then everything we do is just gambling. When the revolutionary army was formed from the very first day, they were gambling. When Najenda, Bulat, and even Akame defected from the empire to the revolution, they were gambling. When the single-eyed leader recruited Hei as an ally to her line of Night Raid assassins, she was gambling.

The real question is – has Hei gambled in his life as well?

Conflicts and wars are just like a game of chess. Analytically, one can perhaps calculate the best move each time, but sometimes one might use psychology to their advantage and win a game by taking a risk to trick their opponents. Such actions are hardly analytical, because psychology can be extremely difficult to predict – even the study of statistics cannot fully grant anyone a successful model of predicting subjectivity.

"Checkmate."

Back in the Night Raid headquarters, the Black Reaper is currently sitting in front of a game of chess, watching the dramatic reaction of a certain green-haired boy unfold at his demise.

Since the intruders have been successfully cleared out, Lubbock challenged Hei into a game of chess for… revenge? No one is certain. Not seeing any harm in doing so, Hei complied.

"Ahhhhhh! I give up! I give up! It's not fun to play with you at all! It's been ten games, and you won all ten of them!"

Shouting across the table, the young assassin looks straight at the masked man, trying to see Hei's secrets in winning every single chess game.

Hei is totally not listening.

Taking out a notebook from nowhere, Hei continues to work on the scripts of complicated formulas and equations, which again demolish every attempt the green-haired boy tries to make to see through his actions.

"I can't believe it! It's impossible to beat you!"

Lubbock is crying internally to death – again.

"My victory is reasonable."

Looking up from his notebook, Hei naturally fixes his mask, and proceeds to answer Lubbock's intended question.

"For example, if you are willing to sacrifice your bishop over here, then my king will under heavy pressure of your two knights. Furthermore, if you sacrifice your queen over here, then that leaves you an open position to checkmate in my congested formation."

Pointing at the chessboard, Hei peacefully explains to the frustrated boy.

"But, but, but… if you already knew about my opportunity to checkmate you, then why did you continuously attack my bishop? If you did succeed in taking that bishop with your knights, then I can checkmate you according to your explanation."

Lubbock is not stupid, he can see the logic error inside Hei's argument.

Or at least he thinks he can.

"Yes, it was possible for you to checkmate me if I took your bishop, but I calculated that your subconsciousness will view pieces more important than position, thus you will focus on protecting your bishop and your queen instead of pushing your rooks forward."

Concluding his argument, Hei turns back to his papers.

"Such ineptitude of masses. Always treating emotion over reason."

"The world is a game of chess. Instead of holding onto your precious pieces, you should sacrifice them to obtain your victory."

This is Hei's view of his life, this world, and everything within it. People are just pieces on a chess board, waiting to be manipulated by no other than the Black Reaper himself. If Hei could kill off his own five hundred soldiers to eliminate the thirteen thousand empire troops in Elder Basin, then there isn't really anything else to say about his beliefs.

To sacrifice these pieces to achieve victory!

The ends justify the means!

Absolute Machiavellianism!

"Ah… What…" Lubbock stunningly looks at the Black Reaper, trying very hard to comprehend what Hei just explained while viewing the terminated chess game.

Hei, the undisputable professor, has just delivered a life lesson to the green-haired young assassin.

Sometimes, you just have to let go of those you hold precious.

Finally understanding what Hei is trying to tell him, the young assassin depressingly looks over the setting sun from the window, and lets out a heavy sigh.

"You sound extremely foreboding, Hei, I will give you that."

"…"

"By the way, isn't Tatsumi going to handle his very first mission today?"

"…"

Silently walking away from the chess table, Hei turns to the window, and searches through the darkening sky to look for his precious stars.

Moving through rooms after rooms, Hei slowly finds his way out to the forest – nobody knows what the Black Reaper is thinking in this time of the day, perhaps not even himself.

Hei has questions.

When the night falls over the sky, when darkness takes over the shining sunlight, when the very first star lights up the children's dreams, Hei will have his answers.

"Izanagi… what have you brought upon me?"


	40. Chapter 39

**Hi, everyone. I apologize. It's been a while. I was really busy.**

 **Here it is. This is not just a simple story of Hei's adventure in an unfamiliar world, and this story will probably go into non-linear plots sooner or later. As you can see, more characters will come into their roles, and the contents will become rather complex.**

 **However, I do promise that everything will come together eventually.**

 **And about romance… I am really not good at writing romance scenes, and I do not plan for a quick development of romance for Hei. Sure, there will be relationship development, and things will get interesting, but it will be slow.**

Chapter 39 Yet Here We Are

Light.

It is the source of everything humans desire. The sun enables the basic living environments for all living organisms. It is the representation of good, of warmth, of contentment, of happiness, and of hope. When the sun sets, everything returns to darkness, which brings tremendous insecure feelings for every living being.

Until there is light again.

Usually, the first glimpse of light when the sun sets does not come from the silver moon. It is born within the single ray of that one brightest star in the distance. For many, this star is the metaphysical guide for their emotional foundation in the darkness.

This is the star for which Hei is searching.

"Mental focus intensified. BK-201 molecular manipulation upsurge in pre-matured state. Energy direction affirmance required. Counterbalanced evaluation processing."

Standing in the middle of his laboratory, the Black Reaper fiercely controls his inner contractor power, attempting to redirect all of his energy by some uncustomary way into somewhere.

"Full module control, twenty-one point five percent. Increasing."

Perhaps knowing that Akame has seen Yin in her dreams created suspicions in Hei's mind, and the imperfect clone is currently determined to find out something with his own power.

"Forty-six point two percent."

The sky is calm. As the sun finally rests itself under the distant mountains, the forests fall into the state of composure inch by inch.

"Sixty-eight point seven percent."

In the distance, one can slowly make out the shape of the palace of the corrupted empire and the lights that come out from the guarding soldiers. Who would know that there will be so much darkness underneath that shade of luster?

"Eight-five point six percent."

If one is observing Hei throughout his stance, one would notice many minute details about the Black Reaper. Sweat is gradually forming on his forehead, and his muscles are tightening at every small second. Blood pressure is rising up as the heart rate increases.

"Ninety-nine point nine percent."

Suddenly, the world begins to collapse in front of the masked man. A blinding white light bursts out from that chosen bright star in the night sky, and everything around Hei disappears into miles after miles of plain grass.

Noticing this sudden change of environment, the Black Reaper slowly turns his head around to observe his surroundings.

It is clearly nighttime, as the dark sky covered with many stars soon confirms his first instinctive guess. The field of grassland appears to extend itself into the realm of infinity, showing no limit at where the sky and the ground crosses paths.

Deciding to carry out his first step, Hei carefully paces forward.

"Soil composition unrecorded. Plantation type unrecorded. Astronomical arrangement unrecorded."

Analyzing his current environment, Hei quickly comes to his conclusion about this alien place.

"Current realm exists only above physical world, perhaps not by physical measurements, perhaps by other manipulation of dimensions."

"Yes, indeed."

A voice suddenly appears behind the Black Reaper.

Turning around, the view of a young boy comes into Hei's eyes.

His reddish orange hair loosely dangles around, covering the white medical tape on his right eye. Standing from a distance, the boy rests both of his hands in his pockets, showing the Black Reaper a similar emotionless look.

"Izanagi."

The word escapes Hei's lunges without a single hint of confusion, but rather a large portion of confidence.

"Oh, that is unnecessary. Even though I do not mind this actual term, I would still prefer the name of which I am known."

The boy starts to walk toward the Black Reaper, seemingly indifferent to the strange surroundings around the two.

"Shion Pavlichenko."

"Shion would be enough, BK-201."

"…"

Looking at the boy in front of him, any regular person would have many questions; however, it appears as if the size of Hei's confusion is actually currently going down.

"You have noticed, haven't you?"

"The composition of this world is your work."

"Yes."

"My reason of existence is also your work."

"Indirectly."

"The many translocations of other contractor spirits are also your work."

"Well, about that… That is a little bit more complicated."

Shaking his head, Shion slowly walks pass the Black Reaper, and gestures Hei to follow him.

"Tell me, BK-201, how much do you believe about souls?"

"Abstract, hypothetical, indefinite, hard to explain."

Walking steadily behind the young boy, Hei does not hesitate to answer Shion's question.

"That means you still believe in their existence, which is good. What about the saying of ultimate creation and destruction?"

"Transcendent, nonconcrete, yet the Izanagi and the Izanami did exist."

"No, BK-201, not 'did exist', they still 'do' exist. And I am the living example of this."

"You are merely a spirit, perhaps formed by waves of energy, such incompetent status of animation cannot be classified as 'existence'."

"Perhaps you are right, BK-201, then what makes you believe that you, yourself, exist? You are merely an imperfect clone of the real BK-201, which makes my naming convention of you inaccurate from the very beginning."

"If we are arguing about human existence, then I cannot qualify as such; however, I think, therefore I am."

"Interesting. Interesting."

The young boy blinks a few times at Hei's unorthodox response, but proceeds to brush it off as he finally stops walking.

"You did say that you doubt my existence, or even my ability to interfere with your current world."

Waving his hand slowly, the boy points at the ground in front of Hei, and the grassland suddenly breaks off from where the Black Reaper is standing. A giant structure advances to erupt from the giant crack on the ground. The structure looks like a door, to be exact, and there are five different spheres engraved in front of the opening. Each one of them contains an assorted color – Black, gold, silver, crimson, and coral.

Stepping back from the outburst, Hei still manages to hold himself calmly upon the great structure in front of him.

"Words do not convey my message to you, perhaps you should feel it yourself."

Standing in front of the giant structure, Hei intuitively stretches out his right arm toward the black sphere.

Upon touching it, a small yet clear voice comes into the Black Reaper's mind. For once, the many clarity of ideas seems to be thrown away. Nothing is certain anymore, and confusion rises again from the deepest of his memories, because –

"Hello, big brother."


	41. Chapter 40

Chapter 40 What Lies in Front of Us

"…"

Perhaps for the first time since his creation, Hei is not answering the calling not because he does not want to answer, but because he does not know how to answer.

Seeing the familiar yet strange girl in front of him, the Black Reaper finds himself losing his ability to formulate a proper reply.

Looking deep into the girl's eyes, something inside Hei's mind seems to be disconnected, but something else becomes, at the same time, very connected.

"Bai."

That is the best you can do? Just "Bai"? How can one not be bothered by this detached reaction? For someone who is literately your sister, how can you not address her with her actual name upon the first reunion? How can you not react with more concern in your voice?

Walking casually toward the Black Reaper, the young girl slowly allows herself to raise her arms to the level of Hei's mask.

Yet, the imperfect clone does not imply any form of resistance upon the sudden close encounter.

Tenderly yet firmly, Bai raises her hand to come into contact with the edge of the pale mask. Placing her hand on Hei's left cheek, the girl closes her hopeful eyes for a small moment, and reopens them with a tiny glimpse of disappointment flashing under the reflection of the stars.

Swiftly, her right hand swings to her right side, bring the Reaper mask away from the man in front of her.

Under the light rays of the night sky, Hei's face can be limpidly observed. The narrow eyes reflecting the peaceful insight of knowledge are completely exposed to the young girl.

"You are not Hei."

"…"

Looking at the disappointed girl, the Black Reaper decides to keep silent at the sudden discovery.

"But there is nothing I can do."

There is definitely disappointment in that statement. Perhaps it is rather cruel for a young girl to discover that her long-lost brother will never be seen again, while a replacement who is not a fully functional human is now her predetermined family; however, disappointment is not the main idea of her expression – it is the resignation residing in her voice that can fully indicate her sadness.

She has been waiting.

Waiting for a long time.

When she finally experiences that day where the person for whom she has been waiting is right in front of her, she realizes that he is long gone.

Perhaps that is fate.

Fate is always so unforgiving.

Disregarding her thoughts, Bai refocuses on the Black Reaper again, and proceeds to her duty.

"You have noticed that the fluctuation of your experiment has created something extraordinary."

"…"

Remaining soundless, the imperfect clone expresses a small nod to Bai's assumption.

"The power of Izanagi, or Shion, as he is known, is the source of creation. It is he who brought us into this unfamiliar world."

Turning at the Black Reaper again, the young girl continually to explain what is meant to be conveyed from the very beginning.

"Yet you do see, we are not fully incorporated in this world. Or, as you may say, we are not really living beings."

"…"

"Your experiment was flawed on the very last step. When they thought they had full control over Shion's power, they were wrong."

"Feasible."

Commenting on Bai's explanation, the Black Reaper sees the logic inside her argument, and advances toward his own words.

"If the power of Izanagi was used correctly, then my sensory cortex would be complete."

Blinking her eyes, Bai tried to cover herself with thoughts, but soon fails to contain her ideas from the Black Reaper.

"Precisely. This is why you are not Hei."

Harsh words. Does Hei care? Probably not. Since his creation, he always knew that he was not the real Li, but this does not concern him, because the missing part of sensory cortex in his brain does not allow for worrying to take place.

Finishing observing the young girl in front of him, Hei turns his head toward the night stars, and indulges himself in deep thoughts once again.

"We have a problem."

The voice of his supposed sister is coming into his ears again, but he is not going to turn his head when he is consumed by analytics.

"The power of the Izanami, it is still active."

Fiercely snapping out of his own thoughts, the new input from the girl is an external factor that must be calculated into all of his future plans.

"Yin?"

"You have seen her."

"…"

"That is… rather fortunate."

Silently marching forward, the young girl continues her normal gestures, hinting the Black Reaper to follow suit.

"The power of Izanami. The definition of death, of destruction, and of the end of everything. Once it is out in the world, it is meant to forever terminate whatever foundation on which we stand and exist. Right now, the power has a host, and this host is providing it a place of rest. When it is still asleep, we can still stand, but once it awakens, everything that Shion worked to build will be destroyed, and everything in your current world will become ashes."

"…"

"Use your logic, we all know that the best line of action. As the Black Reaper –"

She pauses, a small dash of dejection finds itself in her eyes, but then it is wiped away in the next second.

"You must eliminate it before it is too late."


	42. Chapter 41

Chapter 41 Human or Not

Perhaps it is fate that is initializing all of this destined encounter, and perhaps it is fate that is calling the Black Reaper to this duty so similar to Li's original request.

Kill the Izanami, and save the world.

It all sounds so simple for a talented assassin like Hei himself.

In any analytical way, this action should be justified in any direction. As a threat to the world, it should be rather obvious that killing the girl will save millions of other innocent lives. It is also clear that terminating the target will be easiest when the target is at its weakest stage. If the Izanami requires a body host to survive in this world, then it is absolutely at its weakest stage.

So everything should be clear, right? All Hei needs to do is to kill the body host for the future destroyer of worlds.

And that body host is no one other than the crimson-eyed young assassin.

Sure, it would be difficult to approach Akame and kill her; however, with the help of Shion and Bai, it is completely plausible for Hei to plot a successful assassination to the empire's most feared assassin herself.

Therefore, as the cold-blooded Black Reaper, Hei's further decision should be…

"No."

Wait, what?

Hearing the sudden illogical answer from the Black Reaper, Bai is not only dismayed, but also confused. Turning violently to her supposed brother, the young girl is about to question his motives in the most intense way possible.

"Why? You are being extremely absurd! This is the best chance for our survival, and you know that as an experienced assassin, you should eliminate the potential threat for the greater good!"

As a contractor, Bai has been pressing her emotions deep down in her heart to always come to the most beneficial decision for everyone, especially those that once she held closely. When it should be natural for the clone to accept her proposal, this man in front of her is rejecting the most cogent decision possible, while this decision can impact the lives of millions. This is unacceptable for the young girl, and she wants to know the reason for Hei's obstruction.

"If the power of Izanami evolves out of our control, then the world will experience the greatest catastrophe it has yet to see. You will die, your supposed teammates will die, the innocent people will die, and we will vanish into the void."

"…"

Looking at the distant stars from where he is standing, the eyes of the Black Reaper are now solid. When the eyes of the two semi-related siblings meet, Bai instantly knows that this man has already made up his mind – because her brother once had the same look.

"Hei, you must listen. Shion has sacrificed almost everything to bring a few of the lost contractor spirits a new home in other worlds, and we have been wandering aimlessly days and nights in this endless dream. We know that Shion has tried his best, and we cannot expect to have a fresh body for ourselves again, but it is every contractor's hope to at least live within a human being, so we can experience the things that we have once lost."

Almost saying everything in one single breath, Bai cannot seem to convince this foolish man in any way possible.

"Hei, why are you so stubborn? Do you know that your mistake can cause so many of us to lose our last resort of peace in this world? You know exactly what it means to experience hopelessness in your life, and we have been waiting for so long to grasp that last strand of hope! I –"

Chocking at what she is about to say, Bai's internal emotion finally explodes right in front of the Black Reaper.

"I – I have been waiting for so long! I have hoped, every single day, for the miracle to happen! Shion has done so much for us, but you would not even try your very least to support our survival! I have wanted, since the very beginning, to see my brother again! But instead of him, I am stuck with YOU! YOU are not in any sense similar to anything my brother resembles! YOU have broken my very last hope, and now YOU are willing to destroy everything we have built for our future! WHY? WHY?! WHY ARE YOU GOING TO…"

What will the poor girl say? What can she possible say? As a contractor, all the emotions she has been oppressing are now on the surface of her words, showing frustration, desperation, sadness, anger, and most of all, hopelessness.

But it does not matter.

It is not she who paused at the middle of a sentence, it is a pair of arms. A pair of strong and heartwarming arms. Seeing herself in the embracement of the clone, Bai cannot think of anything else, because a familiar feeling suddenly overwhelms the young contractor. It is the feeling that nobody other than that one person can provide for her. It is that comforting embracement every time after she depleted her contractor powers. It is that feeling of peace and security when falling asleep at her brother's arms.

"Xing."

That… is her name.

"Do you remember?"

What?

"I don't really like killing."

…

…

…

When the silver light of the stars shines through the lonely grass field, when the gates of the dreams close upon the calling of time, when the birds of the night fall silent to their humble nests, a lonely girl will finally receive her answer for which she has been waiting.

If contractors are emotionless human beings, then why are there tears on the young girl's cheeks?


	43. Chapter 42

Chapter 42 Our Duty

Once upon a time, there was a land far, far away that was covered with myriad stars. These glistening heavenly objects were, at that time, the inexplicable treasures of children's dreams. When the meteors fell from the sky, they lighted up the eyes of many, many pure souls. By making their deepest wishes upon seeing such magnificent power of nature, those innocent boys and girls planted something irreplaceable in their precious memories – hope.

Once upon a time, there was an immaculate girl. Living with her caring brother, she enjoyed every moment of contentment and sadness in her adolescence. Seeing the miraculous night stars with her beloved brother, she came to believe that she can bring her most cherished wishes into reality when she looked upon the meteors. Yet, fate was rather harsh toward the girl with such a youthful age. When the world changed its course in its most unreasonable way possible, she was chosen to become a contractor. BK-201 was her calling, and Bai was her title. With her normal life behind her, and her emotions oppressed, she was taken by the Syndicate. Working tirelessly to survive in such a malevolent world, she began to realize that her beloved brother was giving up every bit of his humanity to protect her in the shadows, which gradually broke her heart. Choosing to do everything she could in return, she perished in the physical world, and selflessly became the guardian angel for her brother by living within his heart. Her name is Xing.

Once upon a time, there was an unblemished boy. Living with his father and his twin sister, he cherished every bit of happiness in his childhood. Under the glimmering night stars of Siberia, he searched desperately for that special meteor – the one that could fulfill the curiosity and liveliness of his young mind. He found it, but it came with a price too high for a boy of such young age. Losing the ability to see with his right eye was just a small obstacle, but becoming a contractor… that was something perhaps too cruel for a boy of early teens. Oppressing his emotions deep down in his heart, he learned to understand his role in the world and its prophecy, and his duty as the Izanagi. To protect his family, he abandoned his childhood, worked tirelessly to create a new world for the likes of him, sacrificed himself in his sister's arms, and disappeared in people's memories. His name is Shion Pavlichenko.

Time is such an irony.

The world does not seem to grant them the peaceful rest they deserve, as both and currently living within a realm made of dreams.

Nonetheless, if a door is closed, then there will always exists an open window.

Under a sky full of bright stars, a young man dressed in complete black is currently sitting wordlessly on the small hill of green. In his steady arms lies a young girl that looks so much like himself. Her eyes are closed, her breathing is uniformed, and her lips are curving viewably upward. Time seems to fade out of existence at such a peaceful image, as the girl appears to finally find her internal comfort in his gentle arms.

"You have made your decision."

Walking step by step, a young boy in his middle teens approaches the duo with his pockets. There is a dash of contentment in his left eye, and an observable smile stays on his cheeks.

"…"

The Black Reaper is not answering.

However, he intentionally looks down at his sleeping sister, and closes his eyes at the scene.

"You do know that the chance of success for this method is so much smaller than destroying the host directly, right?"

Turning his head toward the Russian boy, the Black Reaper decides to convey everything he needs to say with a show of his tenacious eyes.

"I see."

Pausing at the glance, the small boy takes a deep breath, and calling upon the gate-like structure once again.

With the ground breaking apart, the view of the mystical spheres comes directly into Hei's line of sight once again.

Black, gold, silver, crimson, and coral.

"If that is the case, then I would need all of them."

"Two are prepared, are they not?"

The monotone does not sound like a question, but Hei is definitely making a defined conclusion with his analytical mind again.

"You are correct."

Sighing lightly, Shion carefully places his hand on top of the crimson sphere, and the sphere seems to be synchronized with the power of the Izanagi upon receiving the young boy's touch.

"The black one is Xing. I believe you have already discovered this."

"…"

"Then you should leave. We still have some time, but it isn't much."

Moving away from the Black Reaper, the young boy looks into the borderless night sky, and proceeds to open up another gate in the middle of the realm of dreams.

"I will provide my help in the physical world with my body host, as I have already convinced him of our duty. You will meet him again when the correct time comes."

"Where should I find the others?"

"I don't know. Intuition, perhaps."

"…"

Looking at the sleeping girl in his arms one last time, the Black Reaper carefully places her onto the soft grass field on which he was sitting, and nods softly at the young boy before walking straight toward his physical world again.

…

When the last piece of shadow for the Black Reaper disappears in the eyes of Shion and Xing, the red-haired boy seems to cover himself in deep thoughts once again.

"And I thought they did not create him to possibly obtain humanity again… Was that normal?"

"Yeah, my brother was always an idiot."

…

"Hei, the Boss wants to talk."

Waking up from his dream, the Black Reaper purposefully turns his head to the entrance of his laboratory, and discovers the familiar pair of shining crimson eyes.

"…"

Sitting up from his resting place, the masked man walks slowly to the young assassin, and stops at a few meters in front of her, ostensibly thinking about something important, earning Akame to tilt her head to her left side.

As the moonlight shines through the window of the confined room, the black-haired girl carefully observes the mask of the young man – something about him seems different.

She blinks.

…

"Come."

Gradually, Hei stretches out his left hand.


	44. Chapter 43

Chapter 43 He's Back

As a group of experienced assassins, the members of Night Raid always converse with everyone to determine their best course of action in their respective operations. Normally everything should just fall into place as their Boss, Najenda, commands.

However, something isn't really right at this moment…

Sitting in front of the Black Reaper, Najenda finds herself at a loss of words again.

It should not have been like this…

Najenda has planned for this meeting since the beginning of the day, and she has thoroughly prepared herself with the necessary information, the indispensable courage, and the imperative force of leadership to give an order to Hei. Everything should just fall into their corresponding places, and Najenda herself should be able to host a meeting just like many other ones before.

Yet, seeing Hei enter the room breaks everything apart. It almost as if the Black Reaper contains that invisible force field to prevent everyone else from intervening with his businesses.

Something is not right here…

Reestablishing her breathing patterns, the leader of the young assassins takes a heavy sigh at the situation in front of her, and takes her initiative.

"Hei, before we start, I want to inform you that we are not treating you as an amateur, thus we are not assigning you this following mission as our evaluation of your skills like we did with Tatsumi."

"Continue."

Seeing that the Black Reaper is cooperating, Najenda nods lightly at the masked man, and advances to explain the assignment she had planned.

"Recently, there have been constant murders in the capital at night times, and we are assuming that a Teigu-user is behind those operations. I would like you to confirm our suspicions. Akame will accompany you."

"…"

Calculating something behind his white mask, Hei considers the potential risks silently at his first assignment.

Sure, it would be nice to gather more information regarding the empire, and this information would be beneficial for his own schemes; however, he was, and still is, the empire's most wanted criminal.

Still, when did being the most wanted criminal ever stop Hei from taking risks?

"Understood."

Evaluating his chances, the Black Reaper stands up from his seat and calmly walks out of the room.

Inspecting the masked man in front of her, the crimson-eyed assassin emotionlessly follows the footsteps of the Black Reaper, at the same time thinking about something seemingly important.

Akame can sense it.

Since her encounter with the man a few hours ago, she has felt something about him that is different. Even though his words are strictly analytical, and his actions only are only confined to the rational ones, something inside of him has changed.

Something that she cannot describe.

Perhaps it is her intuition at work?

Blinking a couple of times, the young assassin's heart is once more filled with a strange desire to unmask the Black Reaper.

…

For Hei, it is very fortunate that this is the only mission he has received from the leader of the young assassins since he became their partners. On one hand, the Black Reaper has been dedicating himself into his who-knows-what experimentations in that restricted laboratory, making time the most precious commodity others can offer. On the other hand, he really needs to gather more intelligence over the capital to process forward in his plans with Shion, so this is the chance to do so.

After a few calculated clutches and jumps, the two supposed criminals easily make their way into the eastern side of the capital without any authoritative notices.

Let's not talk about how suspicious the brown coat that Akame is wearing right now is, but that pale mask on Hei's face…

How are people not going to report that if they see it accidentally?

"Take care of the western territory. I will handle the northern territory. Do not let them see your face. The density of wanted posters are well above the mean in that area."

Watching Hei slowly walks toward the north, the katana-wielder also impassively proceeds to the western side.

Maybe that is why there is a tacit understanding between the two assassins.

If they see an objective, they will go and directly fulfill that intention in the most sufficient way possible.

…

Turning quickly into a narrow ally of the city, the Black Reaper takes his speed down, and observes his surroundings to make sure that nobody is within the fifty-meter radius.

"Appliances extremely unusual, can be used to hide, but will attract unwanted attention when blending in the crowd."

Making his judgements on his current customs, the Black Reaper comes to his decision.

Carefully removing his Reaper mask, Hei quietly places it into his inner pocket of the black robe. Within a fraction of a minute, the black robe is taken off and folded neatly on top of his hands. Before he finishes his transformation by hiding his clothes behind a pile of unnoticed bricks, Hei takes out his signature glasses that he used to fool everyone in the Elder Basin and sets them in front of his eyes.

"Data gathering, begin."


	45. Chapter 44

Chapter 44 My Name is Hei

It has been almost a month since Hei became a partner with the Night Raid assassins. To be honest, Hei himself probably did not even see this coming since his arrival in this new world. For the Black Reaper, survival was his main and only objective among those days, and nothing else. Seriously, this man does not have interest in anything around him – except maybe the stars.

It is currently early spring. The cool air corresponds with the breathing patterns of the Black Reaper, showing shades after shades of white clusters as he walks slowly through the streets of the capital.

In this type of weather, men are nowhere to be seen. In fact, even the brownish-yellow lights from the neighboring houses are too selfish to unfold themselves in the middle of the day.

Such a large city with such a small quantity of population is not uncommon – it is the time of the year where the raw temperature itself can discourage any type of special activities. If there are no guards wandering around with their supposed patrol duties, then no one would think that this city is even alive.

Moving silently along the main street, the Black Reaper's emotionless footsteps are strangely granting the atmosphere an inadequate sense of terror.

So Awkward.

Feeling something approaching in a speed faster than normal patrols, Hei intentionally pushes his glasses back against the bridge of his nose.

SLAP.

"Hi, there! Why are you walking alone here in the wintry weather?"

The solid contact from the palm on Hei's shoulder should have provided anyone with a sense of warmth and safety, but Hei is not quite sensitive upon these feelings.

Turning his head, the vivid face of a young girl is quickly reflected through the glasses into Hei's eyes. The girl seems to be around his age, but the beautiful smile on her face is the perfect contrast to the Black Reaper. If there is a signature trait that can be easily identified from a distance, then it should be her long ponytail that is hanging lightly behind her.

GROWL…

Suddenly, an unmistakable sound of grunting appears from below.

Looking down from his current position, Hei's intuition is flinching at the sight of a… toy dog?

"Electron manipulation, Type Delta, activate."

As the world changes into the composition of particles, Hei's eyes are unintentionally widening at the making of this small creature.

"Artificial creation. Structural analysis provides data at least two standard deviations above normal body-composing quantities. Danger level rather high. Very interesting."

Narrowing his eyes at the information he just discovered about this creature, Hei involuntarily pushes his glasses once again.

Somehow, when Hei was using his contractor powers, the small dog-like creature grunted again at the expressionless man.

"Koro, what's happening? Didn't I just feed you? Are you hungry again? Just hang in there, I will bring you some more criminals under the death penalty when we get back… oh, wait."

The brown-haired girl quickly looks up at the man in front of her, finally acknowledging his presence in this awkward situation.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was carried away."

"…" A small nod is all that the girl is receiving from the man with glasses.

"So, why are you standing in the middle of the road in such a cold day? It is really late… Oh, oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Seryu Ubiquitous of the Imperial Police, you can just call me Seryu!"

Apparently, this brown-haired girl has a mind that jumps around itself constantly.

"My name is Hei."

What? Hei? What are you doing? You are the Empire's Most Wanted, don't you know that? How can you just reveal your name like that in front of the imperial police?

At first, this brief introduction does not seem to bring anything extraordinary, but…

"What?! You are Hei?!"

After a few seconds, the girl quickly realizes what this man just told her, and directly reaches for the two black metallic canes while preparing to let Koro transform at any moment.

"Look at your wanted warrant."

"Huh?"

Keeping herself prepared to strike at any second, the brown-haired girl reluctantly turns toward the location at which Hei is pointing.

As the image of the Empire's Most Wanted comes into Seryu's eyes, she quickly realizes something that is not making any sense…

The picture on the poster… is nothing like this Hei in front of her.

"Um, you… him… um…"

Processing this abrupt discoordination in her mind, Seryu finds herself in an extremely confused state.

"Do I look like him?"

Without moving a single inch, the undercover Black Reaper looks into the young girl's eyes without any sign of discomfort.

"Um… no…"

"Do I act like a criminal?"

"Um… why are you staying out in the middle of the night?"

"I am homeless."

Sympathy is always the greatest way to be used in the art of deception, especially when you are dealing with a caring girl that would like to help out in any way possible.

"Oh, I… I am so sorry…"

Seeing the wrinkled and dirty clothes Hei is wearing, Seryu is falling into the Black Reaper's artifice due to her subconscious good-hearted nature.

"What am I doing? I am supposed to be the bringer of justice. How can I mistake a man who is in need of my help as a dangerous criminal?" Shaking her head, the young girl decides to put on her smile again.

"Oh, right! Hei, why don't you come to my house? Since you are homeless, sleeping in a shelter is always better than sleeping on the streets, right?"

That… is extremely naïve.

Expecting the young man to accept her invitation, the soldier of justice mindlessly stretches out her right hand, hoping to atone her own sense of guilt by doing what she believes is right.

"I mean, I am sorry for mistaking you for a dangerous criminal, so please let me – "

Before the girl can finish her sentence, a formidable force takes control of her body by directly pulling her once-stretched out hand toward a narrow alley on the side of the main street.

"Hei, what are you dmmmph?!"

Before she can question the black-haired man's motives, her mouth is covered tightly with Hei's right hand, effectively controlling her voice.

Since the Black Reaper is using his hands to lock her waist and cheeks in place from her back, she cannot turn her head to see what the man is doing; however, the sudden aggressive action from this expressionless man is certainly very… invasive to a girl.

As her body instincts are finally coming into their places, Seryu's first reaction is to struggle fiercely against Hei's hands, attempting to reach her weapons.

"Be quiet."

That command is not helping.

Feeling violated, the Seryu tries to push the man behind her into the wall, but soon discovers that his stand is unnaturally solid. As a result, the protector of justice is feeling very disappointed at herself right now. It seems like this Hei is not a good person after all.

"Look."

Unwillingly focusing her eyes in front of her, Seryu manages to make out the image in the darkness – what comes next causes her to completely forgo all of her struggling.

Under the shadow caused by the silver light of the moon, a large figure is slowly walking toward where the duo was standing… with a bleeding head in its left hand.


	46. Chapter 45

Chapter 45 Zanku the Beheader

The moonlight appears to be the perfect silver silk cover for the breezy surface of the streets. As it's incomparable effulgence overtakes the stony ground, the rectangular tile reflects an unfit sense of metal into the atmosphere. The obsidian firmament is nothing more than a large curtain covering the sleepless earth.

In this chilly night, it is natural for people to achieve warmth by embracing each other, but that is not the objective of the unseen duo in the ally next to the main road.

Feeling the movement of the brown-haired girl calming down to her normal standards, the Black Reaper gradually relaxes his grip on her body. Seeing that Seryu is completely having her focus on the actions of the shadowed man, Hei removes his hands from her mouth and her waist to fix his dislocated glasses back to its original position.

For Seryu, the world around her seems to completely freeze in place as she pours all of her focus into this potential threat. Hei can tell, without manipulating molecules, that the girl's breathing patterns are becoming more uniformed as the figure approaches. It is only a person's natural reaction to unknown danger.

As the blood of the unfortunate victim slowly stains the silver ground with its dark marks, the sight of a hand rubbing against a separated human head quickly takes over the previously unclear figure when the moonlight uncovers the fearful character.

"Joy! Joy! Joy!"

Seemingly savoring the feeling of human skin, the mysterious man excitingly nodes at his gruesome creation.

When the street lights overcome the barrier of darkness, they gradually unravel that undetermined figure of dread for the young fighter of justice.

From the rising blond hair on the temples of his face to the awkward device similar to that of a pair of headphones, the image of his whole body is quite unusual when comparing it to that of a normal adult – especially the two blades from the sides of his arms and the large green eye in the middle of his forehead.

Seryu immediately frowns at the first second of seeing this man, realizing that this is the infamous murderer, Zanku the Beheader, whom the Imperial Police is trying to eliminate since his very first crime earlier this month. This man was once the executioner of the empire, but then followed the path of criminals when he went crazy over all the killings he made – his natural instinct of unlimited bloodlust brought him into a murderer of innocents. Of course, the Imperial Police also recognized the Teigu that Zanku is using to accomplish his crimes while getting away unscratched every time – the Spectator.

This Teigu is the definition of mind-reading. Zanku does not use it other than his purpose of hunting down his victims and succeeding in combat situations; however, for the empire, this Teigu is a perfect way of rooting out spies and acquiring information through interrogation.

"Perfect opportunity – how can I let this one slide away?" Speaking to herself, Seryu swiftly pulls out the T-shaped staff-like weapon from her side, and aims it right at the head of the executioner.

SWIFT.

BANG!

"Dodged…" Looking at the dispersing dust in the air, Seryu lets the feeling of her weaponing contacting the ground reassure her failed ambush attempt.

At the same time, landing safely on the ground a few meters from his previous position, Zanku quickly activates his blades from his sleeves, and smiles at the brown-haired girl.

"Oh, what do we have here? Let me guess… one of the partners of those imperial policemen I killed? Oh, you are becoming furious! Perfect! You want to kill me with your little Teigu by your side? How convenient." Nodding thoughtfully at Seryu, Zanku lets out a devilish smile, exposing his white teeth to the girl.

"Oh? Another rat? Are you here? Or are you over there?"

"Telepathy."

Walking out of the shadows, Hei involuntarily fixes his glasses upon receiving the looks of the fighting pair on the street.

"Hei, this does not concern you! Let the Imperial Police handle this! Go and cover yourself!" Speaking seriously at the undercover Black Reaper, Seryu subconsciously stands in front of Zanku, and readies her weapon to activate her Teigu. Feeling guilty of accusing the man who might have just saved her life, she is willing to take on this battle as a way of appreciation to Hei.

"How dare you attack the Imperial Police! Koro!"

ROAR!

Upon the beginning of its activation, the small toy dog suddenly evolves into something that has the combined height of four regular adults, showing off its incredible muscular limbs and its terrifying teeth to the executioner.

"What a surprise! Such incredible body and such incredible strength… come, and show me more pleasure!" Sliding out his metal blades from his sleeves, Zanku disgustingly takes a lick at the remaining blood, and nods at the sight of the giant biological Teigu.

"Koro! Let justice be served!"

ROAR!

That terrifying mouth is enough to swallow alive at least three people at once.

Zanku, your fight has begun.


	47. Chapter 46

Chapter 46 Which Part Don't You Understand?

How powerful is a Teigu? Well, if Esdeath can utilize hers to destroy an entire army, then there should not be any other better explanation over this topic. How odd, technology should develop as society develops, which means that the empire should have created so many weapons more advanced than that of a Teigu throughout the ages, but reality says otherwise.

That is something Hei cannot understand.

Let us suppose the axiom that says a Teigu is powerful enough to obliterate millions of people within a snap of a finger is true, then what happens when two Teigu collide against each other? Is there a hidden constraint that applies this situation? Well, according to the common sense of all Teigu users, when two Teigu clashes, one must fall.

That is also something Hei cannot understand.

A cold sneer progressively takes over the angry face of Seryu, and the girl formally takes hold of her T-shaped cane-like weapon again.

"Zanku, you will be brought to justice!"

"Joy! Joy! Joy!" The executioner swiftly pulls his weight from his legs to his upper body as he slides across the concrete ground toward his intentional target, activating his hidden blades from his sleeves.

SLASH!

Similar to the tearing of white cotton, the blade of Zanku successfully demonstrates its prominent danger as it breaks apart the skin of the biological Teigu, causing an injury mark of at least three meters in length and one meter in depth.

"Oh, just as I thought. Taking down a biological Teigu requires me to finish its user beforehand." Ignoring the monstrous creature behind him, the blond man jumps at the chance from the staggering Koro and leaps to the brown-haired girl.

CLANG!

Blocking the incoming attack from Zanku, Seryu incessantly launches her counter-attack by swinging her weapon at Zanku's unprotected forehead, trying to find a weakness in the executioner's stance.

CLANG!

Holding onto the incoming force from the staff with his other blade, Zanku turns his body for about one hundred eighty degrees in order to sweep his free hand toward Seryu's neck.

CLANG!

As fast as the rhythm of the raindrops in early spring, the protector of justice takes her staff from the locking position between two collisions and turns her hand to the exposed stomach of the criminal.

"Of course, just as I thought!" Channeling his strength into his legs, Zanku smirks at the incoming assault, and takes a backflip at his standing point, evidently avoiding Seryu's weapon and the charging Koro from his back at the same time.

CRASH.

Without a good amount of chances to cede, Koro's unyielding momentum crashes into Seryu at the calculated dodging movement of the executioner.

"So it is true. Your giant eye can see what I am thinking." As she quickly regains her balance from the cold ground, Seryu's once-confident facial expression is taken over by a glimpse of reluctance. Lowering her body weight, Seryu takes this small gap to regroup with her Teigu.

"Yes, yes. Spectator can see through the minds of others. In the end, your Teigu can only follow what you are thinking, thus giving me more than enough reason to overcome your planned attacks."

"Hm."

Even though she is not very content with her current predicament, she has to adapt. Her advantage over Zanku is Koro's strength, but Zanku's opposing speed can ignore all of Koro's attacks. Cooperation is supposed to give her the upper ground, but the telepath foresees all of her plans, maneuvering her Teigu to hinder her own movements. More importantly, she cannot release ranged-attacked in the middle of a populated neighborhood, considering the amount of damage she could have caused.

This is not going to end well for Seryu.

"Hehehe… you have noticed, haven't you? I am in control of your movements, I am the one who has the upper hand, and I can – "

CLANG!

Before the Teigu wielder can finish his monologue, a silver blade abruptly intercepts his continuing speech, and lands within contact of his rising blade, creating a short sparkle on the field.

"Your attacks are inefficient. Stand down."

Retrieving his throwing knife using the metal cord, the Hei slowly walks pass the protector of justice, and places himself in front of his target.

"What are you doing? Hei, come back! You are not – " Upon seeing Hei's sudden interference, Seryu loses her collectiveness immediately, but her sentence is, not surprisingly, cut short by the man with the glasses.

"Stand down."

If any other person would say that to her, she would not have retrieved her weapons, but there exists an immovable authority and confidence in Hei's voice, which creates an unmistaken cold shiver behind her back, forcing her to listen to the orders out of… fear?

Seeing that Seryu is holding herself behind his shadow, the Black Reaper turns his focus onto the Teigu wielder.

It is very, very late.

The moonlight shines across Zanku's distorted face, but his usual expression of cruel smile is gone.

What remains is a serious countenance.

With cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"…"

"…"

Time starts to tickle away, leaving the two combatants staring directly into each other's eyes.

If Seryu can see it, she would notice that Zanku is turning more and more uneasy at every second as cold sweat gathers more and more densely.

"What… What… WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

Finally, he unleashes his outcry.

What happened?

"Environment digitalized. Position predisposed. Argument validity: fifty two point eight percent. Activation sensible. Objective velocity calculated. Change of rate under time flow modeled by third order differential equations. Lurking variables taken into quarter-estimation. Suggested rho value: three point seven eight meters, uncertainty range: positive and negative two point six centimeters. Suggested theta value: negative fifteen point two four degrees. Suggested phi value: positive twenty-four point seven one degrees. Uncertainty range around positive and negative zero point three degrees. Momentum vectors established. Subsequential calculations follow suit."

Gently securing the position of his glasses in front of his eyes, Hei's action can only be more terrifying when you have absolutely no idea what he is talking about in that signature monotone.

"Which part don't you understand?"

…

Hei, you son of a –


	48. Chapter 47

Chapter 47 What Is It That You Hold Precious?

Parapsychology.

The ability to know another's thoughts.

Well, to "know" another's thoughts.

What does it mean when you "know" another's thoughts?

Mankind has never learned to utilize this supernatural talent in their respective territories, and all of the concepts to this capacity were nothing but myths.

Do we speak to ourselves in our minds? If so, what language do we use in achieving such one-sided communication? Is it possible to react to external overtones with merely subconscious intuition? If so, do we really "know" what we are trying to do when our instincts take over? Many scientists have claimed that we know more about the existing universe than our own minds.

CLANG!

"Terminal t-value: three point six seven, error: fifteen point two zero percent. Premediated."

Can one truly "know" what other people are thinking?

DING!

"Relative distance controlled. Range of uncertainty factorized."

Or do we solely have the equipment to "see" what other people are thinking?

The tension for the night is tight. Under the silver shading of the moonlight, the middle ground of the shallow street ineffectually becomes the stadium for the assassin and the executioner. Supposedly, both men would only operate under the covers of darkness, but the sound of metal clashing can only display anything else but tranquility.

PING!

Hastily parrying another one of Hei's horizontal slashes, Zanku carefully observes the moving patterns of his opponent. The usual taunting he displayed against Seryu has become silent when the first blow of Hei's blade charged against his head a few minutes ago – when he realized something terrifying, even for the likes of himself.

The Spectator.

It is working.

It is just… not working as wished.

Turning his body to avoid Hei's throwing knife again, the executioner parallels his right hidden blade with his adversary's left shoulder, thrusting the weapon like a regular clavier. Before the blade comes pierces through Hei's white shirt, the man with the reflective glasses agilely launches another set of metal wires to direct blade outward, adequately neutralizing the imminent danger.

Usually, seeing his opponents' plans for their assaults can guarantee the executioner great superiority in the tactical sense of a battle, and the Spectator would easily provide everything there is to know; however, this man in front of him is a complete outlier to his hidden advantage – he can see what Hei is thinking, but he cannot understand a single notion of it.

"Body movements modelled by multi-variable functionals, striking point with critical vigor-draining: positive fifteen point three four, negative thirty-six point two seven, positive twenty-seven point one three."

Retrieving his auxiliary metal wire, the Black Reaper in disguise takes an unaccustomed leap above the executioner, and unleashes his blade toward Zanku's central backbone. Such an assault is calculated carefully: if the executioner lowers his body to the ground, then his bodily movements will be hindered in the next second, giving Hei the opportunity to disarm the man with his wire still tied to the sleeve-blade; if he conducts a backflip like he did with Seryu and Koro, then Hei will utilize his high ground in the air to slice the executioner's neck by interfering the movements of the former with his backup blade. So, as a result, Zanku could only dodge to his side within the length of the metal wire, which means –

SLASH.

Blood starts to drip from the right-side abdomen of the executioner, the primary blade successfully creates a noticeable injury on its target, demonstrating the so-called first blood in this encounter.

Such is Hei's tactics. Digitizing everything in his view from the smallest potential energy of his opponent's body muscles to the effect of wind speed on each strike of his throwing knives, he can efficiently predict his best body reaction in any situation.

How ironic – Zanku is supposed to be the one who completely sees the movements of his enemies, but now he is being outclassed like so many of his victims before.

If that is the case, then can we say that Hei's supernatural brain is more effective than a ground-bending Teigu?

That is a scary thought.

In his calculation, this ongoing battle will not last long before Zanku out-maneuvers himself into a fatal mistake.

In fact, Hei could have finished the executioner much more easily if he decided to bring his contractor powers into the picture, but because Seryu is watching the entire encounter, he could not reveal any strategical secrets to the justice-driven member of the Imperial Police.

SLASH.

Another cut is successfully landed onto the left arm of blond man. The chances of winning this fight is becoming lower and lower.

"Right, right." Brushing off the injury, the executioner decides to pause his movements in the middle of the battle, causing the undercover Black Reaper to stop as well.

"Insight has failed since the beginning. Farsight is useless. Clearsight can only do so much with the types of you. Your skills out-ranks my precognition." Stating the depressing fact for himself, Zanku twitches at his current predicament, but suddenly takes back his usual evil smirk.

Perhaps it is intuition at work – Hei's senses become intense as Hei sees the change of character in his opponent's facial expression.

"You are nothing like anything I have encountered before."

We have established that fact already.

"This makes me wonder –"

What?

"What is it that you hold precious?"

Taking the question literally, Hei cannot help but wonder the same thing – as the man without any subjective views, what can be precious to himself?

"Illusion Sight!"


	49. Chapter 48

**I apologize for the late update.**

Chapter 48 Souls

Deception is everything.

The art of lying, of cheating, of manipulating others into your plans.

If there is one person in this world that can be named the master of such malicious talent, then that person would be no other than the Black Reaper himself.

Scheming to consider all of the possible outcomes in any of his reality layout, Hei's emotionless face is the perfect tool for hiding his true intentions.

Always living for himself, always doing things for his own benefit, always ignoring the requests of others, Hei survived the unthinkable through his art of treachery.

If that is, in fact, the Black Reaper we know, then what can possible explain his preceding agreement with Schion, and more importantly, his actions toward Bai?

Is this the Hei we know?

…

"…"

Observing his surroundings, the Black Reaper decides to remain silent at this sudden turn of situation.

It is, using the vocabulary of Hei, very irrational.

People cannot just disappear.

"Electron manipulation, Type Delta."

Stretching his senses along with the expanding radius of his supernatural radar, Hei involuntarily activates his contractor power. Zanku, in Hei's eyes, has completely evaporated upon the shining green light.

"Molecule vibration normal, atmosphere composition unchanged, data analysis orderly."

Narrowing his pair of dark eyes, the Black Reaper quickly discovers himself behind the eight ball. It is not that Hei has not seen supernatural abilities that alternate the regular axioms of physics and chemistry – many years of survival experience from his original body has brought him enough information to employ such things. Sure, teleportation is actually the first hypothesis on Hei's mind when the executioner dissolved right in front of him, but successful teleportation would require metamorphosis on nothing other than space itself, which would leave behind a vast quantity of unstable particles.

But type-delta electron manipulation could not find any indications of abnormal molecular compositions.

Strange indeed.

"If particles are not distorted, then the disappearance should not be classified as the result of teleportation." Fixing his glasses on his nose, Hei continues to let his brain do the logical work, "In the end, the physical world is not altered, so –"

He pauses.

"Deception."

Not even ten seconds into the effects of Illusion Sight, Hei has already seen through the nature of this unorthodox assault.

When you are fighting under the cover of another's tricks, the successful line of action should prevail in eliminating the source of the sorcery as soon as possible.

That is very clear to the Black Reaper.

Debating internally on whether he should publicly discharge his high-voltage electrical currents to trace the movements of all of the conductors on the battlefield, Hei carefully places his hand into his side pocket once again.

Silence follows through his battle preparation as Hei carefully controls every infinitesimal bit of his body muscle, feeling surge and surge of contractor energy congregating inside his body.

"Electron manipulation, Type Gamma."

A magnetic force field bursts out from where Hei is standing to the end of the street at an incomparable rate of expansion, searching desperately for any sign of metal in the area.

…

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

"Contractor power still premature. High-quantity conductor manipulation unresponsive."

Concluding his reason for the failure of his second attempt in solving this puzzle, Hei abstractly shakes his head at his current state.

Illusion Sight can create an image of the most previous being in front of its victim from the result of searching into the victim's mind, and normal humans do contain these essential thoughts. Hei, on the other hand, has created a very unnatural scenario for the Teigu.

If the entire process of tricking its victim can be described as the Spector's computing process, then the course of searching for its victim's precious person would correspond to the decoding stage. If it cannot find a target for itself to execute the program, then it is stuck.

Hei is stuck.

Lingering inside this primitive stage of the attack, Hei has tried to use his contractor powers to outclass the Teigu's effects, but unfortunately for the Black Reaper, his premature control of molecule manipulation could not carry him out of this mind prison.

However, these is a solution to this problem.

In order to generate more power –

"Original host memory should be accessed."

…

Being the imperfect clone of the original Black Reaper, Hei contains, deep in his subconsciousness, Li's memories. Since his creation, he has only accessed the outer most layer. Knowing the existence of Bai, Shion, and Yin are only the results of that incomplete connection. In addition, Hei learns of Li's technique in controlling his powers through this primitive information.

But that is only the basics.

In order to control more of his powers, he needs to receive more of Li's insights.

In order to receive more insights, he needs to dive into Li's memories again.

This time, more deeply.

…

Finally making his decision, Hei closes his eyes and carefully leads his consciousness into that unassessed section of his mind once again.

SPLASH!

Before he can control this information, the forgotten memories rush into Hei's mind like a roaring river, breaking down every barrier of his mental defense.

Before he can comprehend anything regarding the usage of molecule manipulation –

"Hei."

Silver hair.

Violet eyes.

…

Somewhere in the western side of the capital, a hooded girl suddenly catches a shiver through her spine.

Aimlessly raising her head, she intuitively locks onto the sight of the silver moon with her crimson eyes.

"Hei?"

…


	50. Chapter 49

**I did not write the lyrics of the song I used. It belongs to** _ **The Lord of the Rings**_ **.**

Chapter 49 Identity

They say, when humans become contractors, they do not possess sentimental perceptions anymore.

They say, when humans become contractors, they are no longer in control of their passions.

They say, when humans become contractors, they can only develop into self-seeking individualists.

And they say, contractors are just incomplete dolls.

…

"Hei."

Her lips have made their call.

It is such an unfair piece of evidence to suggest that a doll does not understand human sensations when they do not react in the humans' perspectives.

In the realm of nothingness, she is standing right there at the opposing end of the town, looking extremely conflicted at herself.

Perhaps it is the darkness that is making everything so cumbersome.

Yes, it has to be the darkness.

The silent and cultivated night well managed itself into contrasting the luminous figure of the silver-haired girl. Upon anyone's field of vision, the girl herself can be the most formidable component of this alternating reality.

If it were not for the half-hoping and half-pleading tone of her calling –

"Hei. Is that you?"

Then one might as well indulge him or herself into another possible choice in escaping their mind prison.

"…"

Standing in the middle of all this controlled madness, the Black Reaper chooses to react in silence as he holds onto his attention.

"Hei. I feel your presence."

Watching the scene steadily unfold in front of him, Hei knows that this situation must be solved by no one other than himself, sooner or later.

"Yin."

He replies.

There is an absence of intention in his voice. It is no quite the usual emotionlessness one can observe in Hei's voices – it is just a plain response to the girl's calling.

Hei knows exactly who this person is. Accessing Li's memories again, the Black Reaper cannot mistake the person for whom his original self developed a sympathetic affection.

She is Yin, the evolving doll who encompasses the power of the destructive Izanami.

She is Yin, the Finnish pianist who has given up her own name to follow the one in which she found comfort.

She is Yin, the blind girl for whom the legendary Black Reaper has abandoned his entire world.

Hei knows all of that.

But does that matter to him?

He is not the legendary Black Reaper. He does not know love, he does not understand human kindness, and most importantly, he is not the one she loved.

That is why his empty reply is so arid.

"Hei. Please."

There really isn't that much in her sentence, but that else can be said? The girl's life is tragic enough to speak for itself.

Blinded, watched her mother die by saving her, became a doll, gave up her name, burdened by the power of the Izanami, hunted by the Syndicate, and finally asked the one for whom she developed love to kill her – in order to save the world.

No doubt, her life is the combination of the works written by the likes of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.

No one wouldn't develop an implicit sympathy for her.

And yet she is presented in front of him.

"…"

Words fail to form from Hei's vocal cords. His mouth remains in its original position. With his head slightly bending, his rectangular glasses completely cover any sign to discover his intentions by showing the reflection of the silver moonlight.

"Hei."

Her words are limited.

But who says the tone itself cannot carry what her heart conveys?

Unmistakably, the sound of her calling has evolved from hopefulness to assurance, from assurance to confusion, from confusion to desperation, and ultimately, from desperation to sorrow.

Perhaps it is the sorrow for recognizing that her attempts have fallen apart.

For recognizing that this man is not the one she seeks.

Tears begin to emerge on the edge of her violet eyes. They fall like the autumn leaves – gently and vigorously at the same time.

Dolls do not cry.

But when a doll cries, indescribable emotion can only be the conclusion, whether It is elation or melancholy.

"Then, kill me."

One has to endure all of the anguish in the world to make that final statement.

It is the final resort for the ill-fated girl to find her happiness.

Happiness through eternal peace.

The look of conviction can be seen under her silver hair. When all hope is lost, death is the only resting place for her.

CLICK.

Hei, what are you doing?

Pulling his right hand out of his pocket, the black pistol recurs into his palm.

Why are you readying your pistol?

Slowly aiming the weapon toward the direction of Yin, the Black Reaper does not express even a small notion of hesitation.

HEI, ARE YOU REALLY A COLD-BLOODED MURDERER?

"Yin."

The silver-haired girl unnoticeably shudders at his voice – why does it sound so different?

"I promise you."

What?

"I will be there."

…

"Liar."

…

"No, Yin."

 _When the cold of winter comes  
Starless night will cover day  
In the veiling of the sun  
We will walk in bitter rain_

 _But in dreams  
I can hear your name  
And in dreams  
We will meet again_

…

…

…

BANG!

Zanku has fallen.

A girl is being reborn.


	51. Chapter 50

**Junius Brutus is my OC, he is important to my story development. Planning, scheming, and executing decisive plans are extremely important to this story, and it is very important for me to have Junius as part of the whole plan.**

Chapter 50 Setting up the Stage

It is a feeling of incompleteness that the night brings. Fear of the unknown is always the greatest hinderance. That is why the nightfall is always covered with dread – without the penetrating rays from the incandescent sun, humans cannot easily determine what they are facing every time.

"Hei… Are you alright?"

Neglecting the hardening corpse on the ground, Seryu strides contiguously toward the thoughtful Black Reaper.

"Found something interesting."

Casually retrieving his eyesight from the executioner's body, Hei regains his indifferent expression in his usual reply.

"So you are alright… That is… truly… great…"

Seryu's countenance quickly radiates her normal cheerfulness to her surrounding environment, and her words are choked by her emotional stunt – Hei has put on a rather astonishing show here. Other than the fact that this man has defeated Zanku the Beheader with nothing but a pair of battle blades, there is also something else about this person that the brown-haired girl cannot ignore – a homeless man jumping out of nowhere that can completely overwhelm the infamous murderer of this city… This Hei is very, very suspicious.

But… at the same time, this man just saved her life… twice. If he has ill intentions toward justice, well, the justice that Seryu believes, then he would have left the battle while she tried to protect him.

Things are really getting complicated for the young protector of justice.

"It is over."

"Yes… it is."

Looking at expressionless man once again, Seryu tries to discover something that can help her find the answer for which she is seeking. Evidently, it is a total failure.

"Ah, Seryu, here you are."

Before the interactions between the Imperial Police member and the cunning Black Reaper becomes unpleasant in some unprecedent direction, a voice breaks out in the middle of the silence.

Turning around to observe the upcoming man, the duo proceeds to reflect their immediate different speculations.

Magician.

That is the initial reaction of Hei.

In fact, that oversimplified description is not very different from what the man resembles… to a degree.

The ivory top hat notably outshines Hei's outfit with a significant shade of whiteness, which seems very befitting under the plated moonlight. The hidden silver-colored hair completely blends into his overall costume. His white trench coat is flaunting against the touch of the night wind, while the bleached pants simplifies his comprehensive theme into that of a peaceful whiteout. In his right hand lies a walking staff, typically resembling the eighteenth-century industrialists, or certain modern-day magicians. But nothing can stand out more than the ebony eyepatch over the man's right eye. How paradoxical – a simple piece of blackness is the only differentiable part of this newcomer in a dark night like this.

He is a man perhaps in his early twenties.

"General Brutus."

Ah, so that clears out some confusions.

Watching the man slowly approaching the scene, Seryu completely indulges herself into a stance for a perfect military salute toward the man.

"Junius, Captain Seryu, if you would. I do not particularly esteem formalities toward myself."

Smiling calmly at the captain of the Imperial Police, supposed general of the empire turns to look at the remaining member of the trio.

"And you have finally arrived, my friend."

Wait, what?

"It has been a while."

Fixing his glasses once again, the Black Reaper does not seem to contain any strange reactions to the omniscient question – in fact, it almost looks as if he is expecting this encounter.

"Um… General, if I may ask, you are Hei are acquainted?"

Mentally moved by the uncommon scene, the protector of justice could only be dumbfounded when her superior is actively engaged in a history with the homeless man who just defeated the infamous Zanku.

"Junius, captain. Hei and I were long-time business partners from the eastern districts of the Empire a few years ago. Before I left our partnership to come to the capital, we were danger beast hunters."

As if the story has been completely true, the general calmly explains to the young captain without any hesitation.

"Oh, no wonder…"

Accepting this explanation from the general, Seryu turns to the Black Reaper with a confident smile.

"Mr. Hei. You are, indeed, a man of justice, and as the captain of the Imperial Police, I thank you on the behave of my team for your handling of the wanted criminal in this city."

Finishing her appreciation, the brown-haired girl formally takes upon a posture of military salute once again, only this time to the Black Reaper.

Hei nods.

"Captain, you have done well tonight. You may return to your post. This area will be safe under my surveillance. I would like to have a chat with my old friend."

Politely gesturing Seryu to rest for the rest of the night, Junius proceeds to walk toward Hei.

"Understood, General."

…

Watching the young protector of justice disappearing in the distance, Hei carefully observes his surroundings before making his sound noticeable.

"Shion."

"Straight to the point, aren't you? You are just as how he described you."

Indicating Hei to walk with him, Junius answers the Black Reaper with his usual gentle demeanor.

"Judging from your rank, your work has been successful."

Even if he is speaking with the body host of Shion, Hei still doesn't show any expressions.

"Yes, it is. As you can see, I am the half-creation of Shion the Izanagi, which is why I am different than all of the other body hosts in this world. I can effectively communicate with Shion's soul, and through him, I have created a believable history for myself."

Looking at the shining moonlight, the general continues his tale.

"Before Shion contacted you, I have joined the Imperial Army and demonstrated my abilities in securing the danger beast problems in the western districts. I have approached the Prime Minister and did some… well, shadowy business with him, so he promoted me to the rank of a General. Technically, I do not hold any combat abilities that can rival the other two generals equal to my position, but I was seen as the main strategist, considering that neither of them are willing to partake in such tedious work."

Almost chuckling at his own statement, Junius stops in the middle of the road.

"Any signs we seek?"

Frowning at the sudden question, the young general comes into a pause in his story.

"Actually, yes…"


	52. Chapter 51

Chapter 51 An End Is Always a Beginning

"You have seen it yourself."

Holding onto his staff, Junius looks at the Black Reaper with his calm yet promising character, and proceeds with his unfinished explanation.

"Time and location."

Explicitly requesting for more information, Hei takes on his usual vacancy in his voice.

"Elder Basin."

Answering only half of the question, the young general knows exactly what information is enough for the man standing next to him to come into the correct conclusions.

"That contractor power was almost omnipotent. I do not possess the data for such contractor ability."

Knowing exactly to what the creation of the Izanagi is referring, Hei narrows his eyes for a more informative clarification.

"You are mistaken. That was not the work of a contractor."

Hearing the sudden input from the general, Hei unintentionally widens his eyes.

"If so, then you are indicating that a Teigu has the potential to eradicate an entire nation."

A small but noticeable grin finds its way onto the young general's facial appearance.

"You have not yet seen the worst."

"…"

A period of silence soon accompanies the duo in the middle of the night. Hei appears to be in deep thought, and Junius is patiently waiting for the Black Reaper to reply.

"Proceed as planned. Exchanging updated information is crucial."

Slowly shaking his head, the white-coated general decides to resume his walk, gesturing the Black Reaper to follow suit.

"Shion has told me of your plan. The risks are unpredictably high, and success does not necessarily bring the result the both of you are seeking. Sometimes I want to question your motives, but I will refrain myself."

Walking steadily behind Junius, Hei still chooses to keep both of his hands in his pockets, not willing to express a single bit of opinion.

"What about you? My work cannot continue without the intelligence about the Revolutionary Army."

A small scraping sound breaks into the middle of this conversation, causing the silver-haired general to turn his head toward his acquaintance.

In the middle of the night, a brown envelope emerges from Hei's left hand. Judging from the thickness of the bag, there should be at least three hundred pieces of paper inside the cover.

"Impressive. Very impressive. I start to understand why Shion speaks highly of your effectiveness in your line of work."

Taking the envelope gently from Hei's hand, the general moderately hides it inside his ivory trench coat.

"What of the assassination group the Revolutionary Army has imposed here in the capital?"

Scanning the area again, Hei resolves to secure the conversation further before he answers the man in front of him.

"Deliberate operations. Their trust for me cannot exceed the lines of partnership, although that will change as time progresses."

Monotonically presenting his situation to his partner in crime, the Black Reaper does not show any worry for his lack of advancement comparing to Junius.

"Confident, aren't you? I like the sound of it."

A moderate smirk appears on the man with the top hat, but it is soon replaced by a more serious complexion.

"How about the host for the Izanami?"

"Progress is slow, but under control."

"I hope so."

"Trust me."

After carefully studying the expressions of the Black Reaper, Junius finally lets out a sigh.

"I presume that will suffice for now. I should head back before causing unwanted attentions. You should as well."

Before Hei turns back to his previous route, the young general quickly disappears into the rays of the silver moonlight.

…

Equally covering the ground with the same amount of brightness, the moon reveals a man in complete blackness heading toward the western side from rooftops to rooftops.

With his normal equipment and attire retrieved, Hei cautiously calculates every step of his choice of route before finally setting his eyes on a tree in the distance.

The sky is slowly turning bright as the night is coming to an end. The light fog in the atmosphere somehow makes the close distance between Hei and his target seem farther than it is.

"Akame."

The expressionless voice calls out just in time for the receiver to notice Hei's arrival.

"Hm."

It is probably just a delusion that the black-haired girl reveals a sign of relief in her voice.

Yes, totally.

She has been waiting here for more than an hour. Hei was supposed to be back much sooner than this, because they were supposed to use the darkness of the night as a cover for their retreat; however, the sky is currently starting to brighten as the night is coming quickly to its closure. The more she waits, the higher the danger she has for being discovered – considering that the picture on wanted posters are rather accurate for the crimson-eyed girl.

"Our target is eliminated, but I cannot retrieve the Teigu as planned. The Imperial Police was involved."

"Hm."

Akame lightly nods at Hei's explanation as her long hair swings around her body upon her decision to lead the way for the both of them.

Suddenly remembering something, the girl turns quickly to the Black Reaper, her eyes scanning through Hei's trench coat.

"…"

Watching the girl discreetly, the Black Reaper narrows his eyes behind his white mask, calculating the possibilities for Akame to discover his motives. Above all, Hei cannot afford for any member of the Night Raid assassins to know the truth. Not yet.

"I am glad you are not hurt."

Oh.

Light breaks through the heavy fog and lands onto the girl's face, showing a genuine and passionate smile through the aid of the calming night wind.

Beautiful.

Not knowing why, but that was Hei's initial reaction.

…

Wait, what?

…

"How can I express a subjective point of opinion just like that?" Hei frowns awkwardly at his own reaction behind that mask.

Walking forward without specific intentions, the Black Reaper cannot help to let out a final criticism to himself.

"Such ineptitude of masses."


	53. Chapter 52

Chapter 52 I Can Make Them

"So, while Tatsumi successfully eliminated the Imperial Police captain, Hei also ended our concern for the murderous Teigu wielder in the capital. In the end, it is very fortunate that the both of you can come back without any injuries."

Najenda casually holds up the scattered silver hair from the right side of her head, and smiles kindly at the Black Reaper in front of her.

"It is only the result of inevitable digitization and theoretical absolutism, I merely followed the rules of nature."

Hei, please speak a language that we can understand.

"With the absence of justifiable coordination between his inward parameters and his onward dynamism, it was not hard to handle his Teigu."

Never mind.

Well, for the young assassins of Night Raid, it is technically time for dinner.

However, Najenda insists on having Hei report on his specific involvements with Zanku the Beheader as the crowd gathers to enjoy their meals, which is why the awkward conversation just now appeared on the table.

Entirely neglecting the imaginary sweat drops on the foreheads of at least five assassins, the Black Reaper decides to focus on the food lying right in front of him.

That piece of steak looks, well, monstrous.

Literately.

For a man who does not possess the ability to smell or taste, it seems extremely wasteful for Hei to consume a steak the size of multiple textbooks.

Gently uplifting his fork and his knife, the Black Reaper thoughtfully divides the piece of meat into many equal-volume-prisms in his head.

"I will take your reports regarding to the Spectator onto the higher officials in the Revolutionary Army. It is rather disappointing that you were not able to retrieve this Teigu."

Brushing off Hei's eccentric report, the leader of the young assassins slowly takes out another cigarette before sighing at the current situation.

"The empire has been collecting Teigus. Maybe troublesome enemies will come for us sooner or later. We should further prepare ourselves, for our supplies are limited when comparing to the empire."

"Of course, Boss! You can definitely count on us!"

Lubbock, sometimes it is good to tone it down a little bit.

"So far, all of our targets have been worthless scums. How can we suddenly fall into difficult enemies when we are experienced Teigu users…"

Arrogantly declaring her point of view, the pinkette in the room pauses in her own sentence, and takes a short glance at a certain green-eyed boy with antipathy.

"Well, at least most of us."

"Hey! Shut it, you little arrogant brat!"

"Who are you calling brat? Correct me if I am wrong, will you?"

"Why you – "

Before the determined lifetime enemies can turn the peaceful dinner into an uncontrollable bar fight, Bulat and Leone have to take on their responsibilities to restrain the younger teenagers from physically approaching each other.

"Calm down, you two."

"Yeah, you know, only couples will fight like that."

"We are not couples!"

Simultaneously exclaiming the identical statement, the two teens turn their heads angrily toward each other before looking away in embarrassment.

Leone continues to enjoy the free entertainment with her mischievous glances, while Bulat laughs awkwardly at the arguing pair. Sheele sits quietly at the corner of the group, and smiles at the scene with her usual kindness. Lubbock tries to cheer Tatsumi up by saying some Lubbockish proverbs, but the words could not escape his lungs as he notices the killing glare from his silver-haired boss.

"Anyway, it does not matter how strong our enemies are right now, Mine. You have not seen the true power of a Teigu yet. And I know of a person who can easily destroy an entire army with the power from her Teigu."

Shaking her head slightly, Najenda redirects her focus onto the outspoken pinkette.

"Esdeath."

Bulat knows. He knows it too well. His boss, who lost her eye and her arm against that devil, is the one to ask.

The temperature in the room metaphysically drops at the mentioning of that name. General Esdeath, the strongest of the empire, is going to be their enemy one day. The young members of Night Raid have heard rumors, but the older ones have personally experienced the terror of the ice demon.

"As a result, Hei, I would like you to do your best in your attempts for Teigu collection. The Revolution Army can make very good use of them."

Breaking the high tension with her further orders, Najenda turns back to the masked man, who has just finished cutting his steak into standardized cubes.

"…"

Looking at the small pieces of meat in his plate, Hei seems to be in deep thought once again.

Beside the question about the Teigus, here lies an additional problem for the Black Reaper – eating this meal would require Hei to take off his mask…

But he is unwilling to compromise his facial appearance in front of the Night Raid members… yet.

Mentally making a decision in this instant, Hei gently pushes the plat toward a drooling Akame before making his final remark.

"Teigus… I can make them."

…

…

…

Hei, you really have a terrible sense of humor.


	54. Chapter 53

**Hi, everyone.**

 **Thank you for your continuing support. Sorry for the late update. I am not dead yet, just extremely occupied with school work.**

 **The rest of October is going to very tough. I am not sure if I can keep my usual rate of writing in the next two to three weeks, but things will probably settle down a bit in November.**

 **Still, I appreciate your support, and I will go on to try my best.**

Chapter 53 A Deal

Say, what would be scarier?

Waking up in the morning and discovering that your house is on fire?

Or waking up in the morning and discovering that your bed is floating weightlessly in the middle of the room?

Perhaps the majority of the human race would go with the second option. It is comprehensible for us to declare our fear in the unknown. Confidence only lies within our faithful understanding of whatever the situation presents.

"Um… Hei, what did you say? I think I was not hearing correctly."

A certain young lion awkwardly dispatches an amused look to the masked man as a result.

Teigus, in the presence of this world, are the nuclear weapons for any, if not all, of the combatants in this secret war. They are the boundaries of strength, power, and domination, and they cannot be altered in any imaginable way possible.

Making a Teigu? That is equivalent to breaking Newton's Laws of Physics.

"Teigus, I can make them."

Hei, there are two things to consider when you say that:

You are not Albert E.

Leone is not being literal.

Even though every single one of the young assassins understand how the legendary Empire's Most Wanted has incomparable knowledge and insight in everything he says, making a Teigu is just ridiculous. If Hei can break their laws of reality and create a Teigu, then he is inhuman.

Well, Okay, technically, Hei is not human from the first place.

But that is not the point.

No matter who Hei is or what Hei has done, making a Teigu would still be too excessive for anyone in this world to acknowledge. Talking in rational terms, many Teigus were created from the remains of Danger Beasts that had unique powers, imbuing the equipment with special abilities. They were forged from the extremely rare Orichalcum by the greatest metal workers in the Empire's history. These conditions are only the basics of building a Teigu. Without the authentic design and the flawless calibration, there is absolutely no way for a Hei to actualize his impossible claim.

However, even if he knows the circumstances, the Black Reaper can still make such a statement without a single disturbance in his voice, which shows nothing but complete self-confidence.

How is he going to do it?

"Hei, even though I understand that you know what you are saying…"

The leader of the young assassins has to speak up in this situation – the pressure is too real.

"Your Teigus, my laboratory, three days."

Stretching out three fingers from his right hand, the Blade Reaper ruthlessly interrupts Najenda's question of concern with his terms. To himself, a scientific experiment cannot be overlooked if he has the chance to conduct a close examination.

"…"

These are only conditions. Should Najenda accept them? That seems to be the primary concern.

"What are you going to do with the Teigus?"

Ah, of course.

"Dismantlement and scrutinization."

That is not very promising at all, is it?

"You are going to break them!"

The pinkette in the room immediately jumps at this outrageous assumption. If eyes can kill, then Hei would be dead ten thousand times already. Since the very first day of Hei's arrival, Mine was always the one with the greatest resentment. After the fishing incident, the proud girl has lessened her actions toward the Black Reaper, believing that it is not worth her effort to make herself look like a fool, but this… this is just too much. She is not going to let Hei have a hand on her beloved Pumpkin.

"Dismantlement is not the same as vandalization."

Gently adjusting his Reaper mask, Hei sets his eyes on the silver-haired leader once again. To him, this trade is beneficial to both of the parties. Hei requires information about the so-called world-ending weapons of this universe, and the revolutionary army needs powerful armaments.

"Isn't it a little too risky to experiment on the Teigus? We cannot afford to lose what we have in this situation."

Najenda remains in her collected state, and proceeds to question Hei and his blunt method. Contrasting to the empire, the revolutionary army is not a place with unlimited resources. Giving away the Teigus for the sole purpose of experimentation could potentially be disastrous.

"Estimated probability of success is rather high. It is foolish to refuse a potentially beneficial deal."

Hei, you know, it is good to be polite when you are doing business with your customers.

"…"

Najenda closes her eye for a second, and reevaluates the conditions in front of the assassins – Hei has not shown any hostility toward the revolutionary army, and he has been extremely cooperative in every way. Furthermore, the Black Reaper did manage to accomplish the unimaginable before. Maybe she should give it a try?

CLICK.

Turning to his left side, the masked man discovers a sheathed katana lying neatly on the table.

"Take care of it."

Akame tilts her head to her right side, blinks a few times, and sets her crimson eyes on the Black Reaper once again, unintendedly earning a gentle smile from her Boss.

"I guess we have a deal."


	55. Chapter 54

Chapter 54 They are Really Just Normal Needles

The early bird catches the worm.

Very sensational.

The early worm gets eaten by the bird.

Well, if that is how you look at it…

Dragging herself out of her tepid blankets, Mine is clearly not ready for whatever Hei has prepared for the young assassins. A small pinch of pink hair playfully tilts itself against an awkward position. With her final morning yawn, the pinkette incoherently sets her eyes onto the Black Reaper.

"I have results."

Hei's monotone is not helping the situation. That voice of a typical bad college professor cannot trigger the interests of the young men and women in any sense; however, everyone does notice something unusual – the lower amplitude of the masked man's voice ignites a glimpse of weariness.

Even though Hei has claimed that he can finish the work in three days, dealing with Teigus is never an easy job. In fact, dealing with Teigus was an impossible job before Hei claimed that responsibility. If Hei can, in fact, construct a Teigu just like that, then he is no longer human – he is a divine being.

As assassins, it is instinctive for everyone in the room to notice that small change in Hei's voice. Embarrassment soon overcomes the sleepiness of the group. For three consecutive days, Hei has locked himself inside his laboratory, dismantling and analyzing Teigus – no one else on the team is able to handle such a task, and Hei is not asking anything in return. For the Night Raid assassins, the Black Reaper is doing them a favor – a favor that they are repaying with unfocused attention.

"I will begin with the Incursio. Undoubtedly, this piece of armor is used to advance physical prowess of the wielder in every direction. After my evaluation of the transformation process, I can categorize the function of this Teigu in the field of energy exchange. Using the potential in the danger beast material, this weapon stimulates the wielder's cell activities into that of a supernatural state."

Watching the blankness on Tatsumi's face unfold in front of him, Hei internally takes a heavy sigh at the young assassins.

"However, the transformation of energy cannot be done without a suitable process. That process depends on the mechanical system of the wielder, which is, in this case, the anatomy of Bulat himself. With strong tissues and a developed system, he is able to provide a stable foundation for that exchange of energy. If, for example, I want to use the Incursio to advance my own physical abilities, then my body will deteriorate because of certain… incompatible nature in my endocrine and nervous systems."

Pausing for a second, the Black Reaper decides to further his explanation as he receives an understanding nod from Bulat.

"As a result, in theoretical perspective, even if I can create a set of armor similar to the Incursio, the outcome cannot simply be applied to anyone. Due to the high range of uncertainties, I have decided to postpone my research on this Teigu, along with the others that are highly dependent on the user's body foundations."

Scanning across Leone and Mine in a calm fashion, Hei reasonably induces the understanding from the duo before the next part of his speech.

"Cross Tail and Extase, on the other hand, are simpler. Fundamentally speaking, they do not require a bodily groundwork to execute their unique abilities; however, I currently do not have the corresponding materials to construct a model, so the results for them will have to wait."

Well, that is certainly disappointing. Lubbock internally frowns at the lack of result, while Sheele tries to quietly contemplate what Hei just explained.

"Therefore, the breakthrough comes with the Murasame."

Hearing the name of her Teigu, Akame curiously widens her crimson eyes, and slowly tilts her head to her left side.

"Everyone knows the Murasame has a certain type of poison that causes the victim to die with a single contact. Using advanced microscopy analysis and highly sensitive photogates on the microscopic level, I have discovered and extracted interesting lines of code on the surface of the blade."

Turning to the table, Hei looks through stacks after stacks of paper before finding his notebook under a hard-covered manual.

"There are more than fifty thousand characters that make up these lines, and I believe each one of them contains a different meaning. Deciphering them one by one will not be efficient at all, so I conducted actual experiments in testing results on entire sections of code. The result is enlightening. The properties of this Teigu come from the special features of and adaptive danger beast. When the blade comes into contact with a biological creature, the remains of the danger beast accumulate the strand of genetic information similar to ribonucleic acids, which disturbs the very basis of the victim's genetics, and alters the functions of bodily organs almost immediately…"

Hei, that is too excessive.

Looking absolutely clueless, the young assassins metaphysically takes a gentle sweep to remove their composing cold sweat.

"In short, I made those."

Concluding that no one is actually understanding what he is saying, the Black Reaper raises his left hand, and uncovers a transparent small cube.

With needles inside.


	56. Chapter 55

**Hi, everyone.**

 **Thank you for your patience. This is unusual. I don't normally write chapters with 1500 words or so, but I have some spare time today, so this happened.**

 **November is not here yet, so I will continue to be busy. I appreciate your concern and support throughout these days, and I will continue to write whenever I have time.**

Chapter 55 Sit Down and Listen

Repetitive ambush methods are amateurish.

From the long-ranged sniper who can make a lethal shot in the long distance to the wire-driven trap-planner who surveys the battlefields, the composition of the Night Raid assassins cannot be described as anything other than systematic.

Aren't all types of assassin organizations like that? The specializations in combat, the over-reliance on the power of their Teigus, the monotonous way of striking their targets, and the commonality of placing emotion over reason have all proven to be… childish.

At least that is how Hei sees it.

It is good to a point for the assassins to be specialized in their respective responsibilities, because the group operates as a low-profile team that is usually well-hidden, which means invariability is the most adept way to protect secrecy.

Assassins cannot just indulge themselves in the same way of eliminating their targets with their physical prowess – skills are important, but they are vulnerable if they cannot be adapted into the course of reality.

A true assassin does not depend on his or her physical assassination abilities alone. Going into the field and kill your target will always be Hei's last option – it is unclean, it is suspicious, and it is dangerous. Political sabotage would always be the Black Reaper's first choice – if his target has dirty spots, then he will use them to discredit their reliabilities, turn their allies against them, and destroy them with their own laws.

But it seems like there is too much "good" in the members of Night Raid to even consider such an approach.

"Take extreme caution with your weapons."

Sliding his hands into the safety gloves he has prepared for himself, Hei thoughtfully takes a look at the gathered crowd before opening the glass cube in his hand.

"I was able to extract the axiological code from the Murasame's long sequence."

Handling a needle between his righter thumb and index finger, the Black Reaper slowly takes his route to the cabinet on the other side of the room. With a gentle pull, he swiftly removes a metal cage from the third row.

A rat.

"The results were not as significant as the original, but it shall suffice as the first stage of development."

Concluding his explanation, Hei softly makes a mark with the needle on the small creature's left leg.

Within a second, the injured leg of the rat is covered with mysterious yet familiar black patterns. In the next second, the black patterns quickly spreads through the lower body of the beast, creating a strong sense of discomfort to its nervous system, resulting in a small shiver. Before a sound of pain is heard from the fated victim of experimentation, the rat falls heavily onto its left side, motionless and cold.

It is dead.

Turning his gaze from the rat to his audiences, Hei immediately discovers that his action is bringing the Teigu wielders heart attacks. From the hanging jaw bones to the widening eyes, no one – not a single Teigu wielder – is able to murmur a sound at his awe-inspiring display.

"Wow, Hei, that is amazing!"

Watching the unbelievable scene unfold in front of him, Tatsumi manages to be the only one to react to the Black Reaper. Being the only person in the Night Raid assassins who can talk to Hei like friends (okay, only in Tatsumi's point of view), the only person who has seen how Hei looks under that mask, and the only person who had been saved (or almost killed, in Hei's perspective) by Hei, the energetic boy innocently assumes that Hei has just performed another one of his fabulous miracles, which is just going to stimulate the good-hearted boy's inner fanboy-ism once again.

"The speed is not as fast as the original. I merely arranged the discovered code in oblique and longitudinal orders, and reestablished the new sequences with the help of combination and permutation calculations."

Placing the needle carefully into the glass container once again, the Black Reaper turns back to look at his audiences, waiting for a reply of either approval or disapproval.

"No, no, Hei, that… is already good enough. Thank you very much."

Being an Teigu-user, the leader of the young assassins composedly pulls herself back from Hei's mind-bending reality lecture, and acknowledges his work with a rushed appreciation.

What else can she say? Hei, this mysterious man, has brought her so many surprises. Even though the revolutionary headquarters have informed her about the potential of this man's intelligence, but replicating part of a Teigu? Really? That's is literally breaking the rules of reality!

But that is not all of it.

If Hei is able to replicate a simple Teigu in no more than three days, what can he do in three weeks? In three months? In three years?

Breathing deeply, the one-eyed leader cannot help but let a small shiver of coldness take over her back – that lost feeling has returned to Najenda, that special feeling when she lost her eye and her arm under the shear force of Esdeath – fear.

If Esdeath is scary, then Hei is horrifying.

For the first time in her life, the leader of the young assassins has recognized something.

Force does not necessarily need to be overcame with a greater force. Strength does not necessarily rule the world. When facing the equal intelligence, any amount of force can only be reduced to nothing other than a plaything in a child's hands.

With such an incredible mind, what reason could Hei have to aid the Night Raid assassins?

Why did he decide to help in the first place?

The more she knows about the Black Reaper, the more distant the man seems to be.

If he is the type of person that truly cares about mankind's future, then Najenda would not mind to have him on the revolutionary army's side.

But what the Black Reaper displays is nothing more than indifference.

This frightens the silver-haired leader.

"Teigus are only weapons. Weapons do not decide what they represent. The wielders do. Do not over-rely on your weapons, or you will lose your consciousness for the reality."

Facing the awkward glances from the crowd, Hei monotonically finishes his demonstration with a confusing statement, waiting for the young assassins to digest his meaning.

"Um… yeah, um… it has really happened. Replicating a Teigu…" Lubbock is still trying to let the fact settle in his turbulent train of thought – his worldview has been damaged, and it takes time to establish a new one.

"I know, right? Hei, with your help, I can already foresee our victory against the empire in the future." Bulat turns out to be more amused than shocked. Being more mature than the rest of the group, the wielder of the Incursio replies the Black Reaper with a… loving smile? Okay, that is kind of weird.

"Man, why didn't we notice you in all those years? Building Teigus for us without any payment? Seriously?! Are you a secret treasure or something? We need to do something to thank you." Hearing a voice becoming closer in an unmatchable speed, Hei turns to discover an all-hyped Leone standing right in front of him with only a few centimeters between the two.

"Take off the mask and let Onee-san give you a kiss!"

Instinct immediately takes over the Black Reaper's body, before Leone's right hand can reach the edge of his mask, the Black Reaper forcefully blocks the incoming assault with his arm, and side-steps to his left side to increase the distance between the blonde and himself.

"No."

"Aww, come on!"

…

"Hey, hey, Leone! Stop that! What are you doing? We can't just jump to the conclusion yet! We don't even know if he has good intentions to us! Maybe he is only building our trust to backstab us one day!" Watching Leone chasing the Black Reaper everywhere in the confined room is a bit… uncomfortable for the tempered pinkette. Admitting Hei's intelligence is not something she like to do.

"Hey, what are you saying?! Hei is our friend! Well, at least my friend! He would not betray a friend like that!" Tatsumi and fanboy-ism, seriously, needs to be suppressed a bit sometimes.

"Hmm, Hei is truly a reliable person." Smiling kindly at the pair, Sheele fixes her glasses once again and turns her head toward the chase scene.

"Sheele! Not you, too!"

"See? Hei is good-natured!"

"What do you know? You stupid amateur!"

"Hey, what did you say? You cocky bastard!"

…

"…"

A pair of crimson eyes have never left the Black Reaper since they came into this room.

With a few blinks, Akame slowly lets a heartfelt smile to slip onto her petite face.

Yes, she knows, that the Black Reaper will succeed.

This is nothing other than the work of her unknown confidence.

Confidence in Hei.


	57. Chapter 56

**Hi, everyone.**

 **Thank you for your patience. November has arrived. I am back. I believe I will be able to go back to my normal update rate in the upcoming days. I really appreciate all of your support.**

Chapter 56 Even a Small Star Shines in the Dark

When the stars appeared one night in ten thousand years, men started to believe and adore. They preserved the remembrance of that astonishing shade of gold for many generations. Every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light men's hearts with their admonishing smile.

Time will pass, nature will rise, and men will fall.

The sky will grow darker when one strikes at time.

However, one must always pummel that essential piece of force – that unbendable force.

Today or tomorrow.

It will come in the ultimatum.

…

What does Hei want?

Wrinkling her ruffled hair, the leader of the Night Raid assassins cannot help but intensively takes in another sniffing from her perceived cigarette. The stakes are too high – bringing in the Black Reaper to her strategical progression on the empire's capital has surprises that can far outreach the plans from her superiors.

That poker-faced, cold-hearted, taciturn Hei.

Partnership with the Black Reaper was completely an order from the higher officers of the Revolutionary Army. In fact, Hei's level of involvement with the Night Raid assassins has already passed that of mere partnership. Beside the fact that Hei is living with the young killers, this man now has access to all of the information about their habits and abilities.

That can't be good.

No one outside of the Revolutionary Army knows this much about the most elite assassination group in the empire – not even the Prime Minister's secret agents.

Talk about the prime minister's secret agents…

Najenda thoughtfully takes out a piece of paper from the large stack of documents on her desk – her superiors have sent her updates on the Danger List. Fixing her glances on the report, the picture of a unique man reveals itself to the silver-haired woman's attention.

Junius Brutus.

First Advisor of the Prime Minister.

She frowns upon that line – the man looks way too young to be trusted by someone like the Prime Minister. As a former general of the Imperial Army, Najenda knows exactly how the inner circle of the Prime Minister is being comprised. Budo and Esdeath, two of the strongest in the empire, wield the absolute control of the military. The Prime Minister only takes on political schemes, and he will, to the very end, impose his orders only to his own benefit.

Using an advisor is not his style.

No, something is not right.

Then his image dazzles her.

They say, when you try to understand somebody, you look into their eyes. Well, in this case, it is just one eye. When Najenda's eye meets that eye on the paper, a sudden instinct is taken out from many years of experience – this man, undoubtedly, is dangerous.

Exhaling a stream of grey smoke, the one-eyed leader carefully returns that piece of paper into her pile of information.

Junius can wait.

She looks out at the night sky.

Stars are glimmering.

…

"Exquisite."

Under the cover from the dark sky, a man in black robes is currently standing near the cliff of a small hill. The layers after layers of trees behind him seem to have fallen asleep under the tranquility of the night.

"Oh, Hei, nice to see you here."

The peaceful realm is abruptly being disconnected by the animated greeting from a young boy.

"Tatsumi."

The Black Reaper does not turn to greet the boy with a warm welcome, but a reply is good enough for him.

"Enjoying the view? There are a lot of stars tonight." Knowing that the Black Reaper will not acknowledge him further, Tatsumi proceeds to seat himself next to where Hei is standing. The silence between the duo may have been awkward for others, but the cheerful boy has learned to handle the Black Reaper in the recent weeks.

To make a long story short, Tatsumi is going to talk, and Hei is not.

"You know that I told you I have a lot of stars in my village? I wasn't exaggerating. The night sky here is nice, but it still has no comparison to where I come from. We don't have large structures, compacted houses, trees after trees, hills after hills, but only endless farmlands. That is why the night sky in my village is literately a blanket made of stars…"

Enthusiastically commenting on the night view, the green-eyed boy finds it very satisfying to have something that makes the Black Reaper interested – this is the man who replicated a Teigu, but he can still be fascinated by nothing more than Tatsumi's descriptions of the luminous stars.

Such irony.

"What are you doing?"

Precipitously ending Tatsumi's energetic display, the Black Reaper's questioning monotone accompanies his eye sight to his back.

"Ah… um… how did you find us?"

Leone, Lubbock, Mine, Sheele, and Bulat slowly step out of the bushes behind the Black Reaper with their respective awkward expressions on their faces.

"Hei, what are you doing?"

"…"

"Why, of course, he is enjoying the stars." Seeing that the masked man is not answering his fellow teammates, Tatsumi decides to reply for him.

"Enjoying the stars…"

Leone levels her eye brows upon that statement. She remembered Hei liked something about stars, but this… it's almost like discovering a royal guard having a secret love for bunnies.

"The stars are something knowledge cannot provide. Every time you gaze upon the scintillate stars, you can forget your previous encounter, and enjoy this indescribable beauty of nature once again."

Um… Okay…

Hei's philosophy of beauty is definitely something.


	58. Chapter 57

Chapter 57 Conflicted Thoughts

When a continuous cloud of texture closes into the sky, and the ground, so feeble, is being overcast by the whitening light, one soars at the prosaic, cumbersome, wan, and contracted circle, leaving the pitiful shadows falling into the realm of resonance.

Bending earthward, that lonely path veils the dark abyss of which he once walked.

O solemn traveler!

O evanesce not!

At length that mind opens. In depth that vision shows.

Dredging, dredging.

Grappling, grappling.

With time that heart arrives. Through space that spirit goes.

…

It is the night.

It is the night when everything is precisely hidden under the shadows.

It is the night when the mind, where everything exists, glides into that domain of infinity.

Tomorrow, the Black Reaper's plan will enter a new stage.

But Hei did not understand.

The Black Reaper glares at the infinitesimally divided night sky, contemplating on nothing other than his own decision.

Sparing the Izanami.

It was so many nights ago when Hei chose to make that deal with Shion the Izanagi.

He strides across the now-empty grassland. Tatsumi and his teammates are no longer viewing the stars with the masked Black Reaper – they have their respective missions tomorrow, and resting is essential in preparing for their missions.

"Yin, her existence, her purpose, her influence, conflicted."

Yes, killing a certain doll and her body host is unequivocally the expected decision in any perspective. But something – something inside Hei's line of logic hindered that choice when he lastly spoke in his realm of dreams.

And what was Hei's justification to Xing?

"I do not like killing"?

Is that even possible for the Black Reaper? Thinking back to that destined day, Hei could not understand why he said that to his supposed sister.

"Could it be Li's deepening memories? No, his memories are only superfluous when comparing to the vast information I have possessed."

Something just does not add up. Everything that Hei believed, believes, and will continue to believe has told, is telling, and will continue to tell him to simply kill the Izanagi. Yet when he comes to the final decision, an unrecognized force is preventing him from making that choice.

With a final remark on his surroundings, he progresses to activate his contractor powers.

…

"Ah, Hei, you are back."

Turning his head to the Black Reaper, Shion carefully sets another piece of stone on the unending realm of grass fields before acknowledging his entrance from the real world.

"Junius is doing well. He is currently investigating the potentials of our targets. There is going to be an operation tomorrow. You have seen our planning details."

The single-eyed boy smiles lightly at Hei, his arms never stopped at arranging the stones into a certain pattern.

"You are looking for something, I presume."

"An explanation."

"Oh? And what may I do to fulfill your inquest?"

"Answers to our agreement."

"Yes?"

"Why did I do it?"

"…"

The crimson-haired boy becomes silent upon that statement. In the next instant, he places the stone in his right hand onto the ground. The smile on his face is replaced with a serious complexion, and his eyes are rotating in thoughtfulness.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I do not understand myself."

"Hei, you and I both know that you have made that decision all by yourself. You must have seen the reason for keeping the Izanami alive."

"I have not."

"Then, there comes the question. Hei, we know that reason alone cannot conclude your decision. You admitted that you did not actually see logic in doing so. As a result, there must have been something else that is preventing you from killing her."

"I know."

"Hei, I have to tell you that I do not have the answer. I do not process the ability to enter your mind, you do."

"That is why I am here."

Pausing in the middle of his explanation, Shion turns his head to the infinite night sky, takes a deep sigh, and closes his eyes. A small glimpse of light evolves from his hand, the stones which he placed in that specific pattern slowly initiate their internal lumens.

Black, gold, silver, crimson, coral.

"Go on. Enter your own mind."

Just like the last time, Hei intuitively stumbles toward the black stone, and stretches out his hand to make a swift contact.

Suddenly, the realm of dreams is dwindling – the endless grass fields are gradually fading into the limitless universe. Like shattered glass, these fragmented pieces carry away the last glimpse of light in this alternate reality.

…

"Big brother, you are back."

A lake rises in the middle of a night forest. The harmonious surface of the water cannot be tainted with a single disruptive ripple, and the beauty of that mixture of moonlight raises a comparison to that of diamonds.

"Yes."

Hei looks down at the smiling girl in front of the lake. It seems that she is emitting an ambience of contentment. He hasn't been here since his very first encounter with his supposed sister, and that was when he entered the realm of dreams for the very first time.

"I know why you are here."

Before Hei can explain himself, Xing quickly turns around from the Black Reaper, and walks calmly toward the edge of the lake. With an unseen grin on her face, she seats herself in the layers after layers of silky grass.

"But I won't answer you unless you spend some time with me."

Blinking his eyes a few times, the Black Reaper chooses to quietly sit himself beside Xing.

"Look at the stars, big brother."

The girl adjusts herself to be closer to the man beside her, pauses for a few seconds, tries to take in the existence of her supposed brother, and lifts her head to observe the night sky before continuing.

"Do you remember that we used to look at the meteors when we were kids?"

"Yes."

Even though that was Li's memory, Hei still subconsciously played his part.

"Do you remember you were so interested with the night sky that you stayed up all night looking through your telescope?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember that you loved the stars?"

Hei's eyes widens at that choice of word. Searching through his memories, he tries to connect that specific diction to something he could understand, explain, and accept.

"Love." He repeats.

"Yes, love, big brother."

"…"

"You were fascinated, enthusiastic, and most of all, happy. When the stars were replaced with contractor symbols, you would look at the night sky every night, pursuing your hope that the stars will return one day, even though you knew, with reason and logic, that the stars would never come back. Sometimes, you did not want to listen to reason, big brother. You listened to your emotion."

"…"

Enough has been said. Hei is a fast thinker. There is a connection between his confusion and Xing's explanation. She is trying to tell him that it is his emotion for Yin that hindered his decision to kill her.

"That is Li, not me."

The grin on the black-haired girl's face widens at his comment.

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not."

"My temporal lobe is incomplete, I cannot process human emotions."

"Maybe, but what other explanations do you have for deciding to spare the girl?"

"Subconscious restrictions from Li's memories."

"You are over-analyzing."

"Logically possible."

"See? That is the problem! You use you logic through everything! Everything! Hei, you are not fully human, but I took you in as my true brother! Do you know why? Because I saw hope in you! If you do not have any emotions, then why did you say you did not like the killing? Don't tell me it was Li's memory, I don't believe it! Stop thinking! Stop analyzing! Stop reason your way through everything you perceive! Feel them, Hei. Feel them like a human would."

Bursting out her voice immanently, Xing lets her eyes meet that of Hei's, her expression intense and serious.

"It will be hard, but I have patience, and I have hope."

She closes her eyes, and tiredly turns back to the night sky.

"The morning is near. You still have work to do."

With a gentle push to Hei, Xing fades away in the distance.


	59. Chapter 58

Chapter 58 My Way

It is always greed that drives us forward.

We consumed, we searched, we discovered, and we consumed again.

Yet one day, we realized that consumption of what we can find alone cannot satisfy us anymore, so we began creating.

And we consumed our creations.

This is how we survived and thrived.

This core of mankind's highest ambition.

…

Elegant.

That word would effectively describe the room in which the higher-ranked officers of the empire normally rest. The ivory walls of the interior are carved with similar classical embellishments of the Victorian Age. A medium-sized bed is located toward the corner of the room. The material with which the bed is built would be something along the lines of a rosewood. A desk made from the same wood is installed neatly in front of the silk-curtained window. In front of the desk sits a silver-haired man. His only remaining left eye is gazing up and down on a stack of documents.

"The Thirty-Eighth Division of the revolutionary army is effectively slowing down General Esdeath's progress for overtaking the northwestern region in Mt. Ozi, which gives me a supplemental week to lay down the preparations."

Rising from his current seat, Junius lets his right arm into a slow tapping motion over his right temple. Briefly looking over the numbers one last time, he decides to place the stack of paper back onto the wooden shelf behind the desk.

"With the establishment of the my separate department, I should be able to relocate the financial resources. Now, in order to convince the Prime Minister…"

Eyeing all of the paperwork on top of the shelf, he carefully retrieves a folder on the righter shelf. The relatively undisturbed cover signifies the fact that this folder has not been opened for a long time. Making sure that he has chosen the correct set of documents, the young general proceeds to examine the documents.

"Taxation rate needs to be adjusted. I cannot let the rate increase above the calculated range. The suppression in the capital cannot be centered in the military, but the economy. Another divergence in the military can create a power vacuum. Propaganda should be placed secretly on the borderline cities, but the capital must remain unaffected; therefore, the density for the distribution of the Imperial Police will be lowered. In this case, Hei would have a more workable environment."

Pacing back and forth in front of the window, Junius gradually forms his new domestic policies in his mind. As one of the highest officials in the empire, he's control of the government is not necessarily force, like Budo and Esdeath, but intellect.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Yes, come in."

A young soldier opens the door. His eyes reflect the typical seriousness of those trained by empirical standards. There are no documents in his hands, and he is not equipped with any weapons, which means he most likely is delivering a message from the Prime Minister.

"The Prime Minister would like to see you in thirty minutes, General."

As predicted.

"Junius, please, Liam. I have told you that I do not take appreciation in formalities." The young general replies the soldier with a smile, "But yes, I will be there on time. Would you take this folder to him when you leave? Thank you."

"Consider it done, General."

The young soldier also replies with a gentle smile. Before Junius can attempt once again to correct his formal tone, the soldier disappears in the hallway.

Sitting down on his chair again, Junius involuntarily takes a light sigh. Since the very beginning of his employment, he was given the control of a small portion of the empire's police forces. Comparing to the military power held by Esdeath and Budo, this is barely worthy of mentioning; however, he would gladly take in all the benefits he can acquire.

When the Prime Minister chose to let Junius have a portion of the police force, he took out a little portion of the military from the two other generals and granted those soldiers to Junius. Budo was not very happy, but he did not like to entangle himself in politics. Moreover, the portion the Prime Minister took out was only ten percent of his total force. Esdeath only showed indifference – she gave the Prime Minister the weakest ten percent of her military, and she knew she can always acquire more soldiers by conquering neighboring kingdoms. When these soldiers came under the command of Junius, they were uncertain of their predicament, but one event changed their perspectives on their new superior.

Junius played cards with them.

Literately.

Having experienced the humorless and unyielding Budo and the forceful and merciless Esdeath, the soldiers were expecting something similar along the line.

But here came their new general, distributing stacks of cards.

He even played a few rounds with them.

And no, Junius did not always win those luck-based card games.

Now that was character.

Of course, as a general, Junius understood that order and discipline are always extremely important in commanding an army, and he never made the training portion of his soldiers' lives any easier, but he knew how to win the hearts of his followers.

By lowering himself to become one of them.

This is what Esdeath and Budo failed to achieve. And this is why Junius is now the one and only general with absolute loyalty in his army. Do Esdeath and Budo care for their subordinates? Of course, they do. In fact, the loyalty of the soldiers to Esdeath and Budo are probably better than some officials in the revolutionary army. The only difference resides in the fact that Esdeath and Budo are exercising their images of "protectors" while Junius is merely showing himself as a "friend".

And that made the impact.

Esdeath's greed lies in her desire for power and control.

Budo's greed lies in his desire for order and structure.

And Junius?

Internally, he really doesn't know. Being the half-creation of Shion the Izanagi, Junius's goal would be the same as Shion's goal. Subconsciously, Junius is just curious about life in general.

Now, the way Junius presents himself in front of the Prime Minister would be a different story.

Talk about the Prime Minister…

Junius gently places the white trench coat over his shirt, carries the similar top hat onto his head, and takes the walking cane sitting next to his bed with his right hand.

It is almost thirty minutes.


	60. Chapter 59

**Hi, everyone.**

 **Wow, I usually never have time to write two chapters a day, but I guess this is the exception.**

 **I hope you are not getting frustrated because there is a lack of action in the story. To be fair, my plan for this story is to focus on the intellectual side of the Akame ga Kill storyline. Hei and Junius are both strategists, and I like to show the details of their schemes.**

 **However, I promise, there will be another action scene right around the corner, in case you are expecting it.**

Chapter 59 The Albatross and The Snake

How far can a man extend his personal desires before abusing the others?

How far can a man abuse the others before his consciousness represses him?

How far can a man's consciousness substantiate what is morally wrong?

Or is there even such a standard for a man?

For one man in particular, these questions are absolutely inconsequential.

Aggressively dispatches another piece of meat from the plate in front of him, Honest gestures the soldier in front of him to be dismissed.

The paperwork Junius has sent him is remaining untouched on the edge of his dining table – there is no need for him to read these papers, because Junius always carries out the domestic policies to the Prime Minister's liking since the first day the young general was given the position.

That was a few months ago.

The first time Junius came to the capital, he successfully gathered important information regarding the internal political structures of the Prime Minister through some correct briberies. Fortunately, he saw an opportunity within the system. There was a struggle within the different political factions. Of course, there was no talk about any legal reforms – the problem was about the distribution of wealth among the nobles and the higher officials. Indeed, Prime Minister Honest could just confiscate all the wealth and keep them for himself, but doing so would damage the regional authorities, which means he himself would need to oversee the administration of this empire to every small detail.

Even though he desired absolute political power, he really didn't want to waste all of his time on reassigning local governors, scheming army distributions, and handling insignificant regional affairs; therefore, if Honest wanted to live a carefree life, then he needed the support from the local nobles and higher officials.

That was when Junius victoriously delivered a private letter to the Prime Minister.

The message was simple – Junius laid out the details for the wealth distribution based on a complex set of calculations he made, and he asked for nothing other than monetary awards from the Prime Minister.

Doubting the effectiveness of this plan, but seeing no potential harm in trying it out, Honest deployed it.

And goodness did it work splendidly.

Even though the Prime Minister did not understand why this plan worked, but the local nobles and the higher officials all received their satisfactory share without causing any more trouble.

As a result, Honest flagrantly invited the young man to his palace – he wanted to inspect his future financial advisor.

And Junius put on a masterful display of character.

He showed incredible economic insights, but absolutely no political vision. He talked enthusiastically about his art of war, but contained little physical prowess. He exhibited an unyielding affection for money and other material goods, but had no desire for power and position.

That was everything Honest was seeking.

A man that could handle all the tedious work for him while not having any chance to surpass him in political power.

Honest offered him the position of a general in the government: being a general, Junius could access all of the resources he needed for handling domestic policies, while Budo and Esdeath could constantly keep him in check – since he did not really process any mentionable military power.

And that was how Junius became a general.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Come in."

"Prime Minister."

The young general steps into the dining room, his demeanor is the usual calming smile. The ivory trench coat seems to reflect the sunlight into the enormous room, brightening the interiors of this dining place a few more lumens.

"General Brutus, come here and sit next to me."

The overweighed man casually points his finger toward a seat on the right side of the table, signaling Junius to make himself comfortable, to which he complies.

"Try some beef, General, the cook had a new recipe, it was quite delicious."

The single-eyed general turns to the food in front of him – the beef does, in fact, look enticing.

"Pardon me, Prime Minister. I have not been feeling too well since this morning, and I do not have much appetite as to right now."

Even though he dislikes formalities, the Prime Minister certainly does not. In order to earn the liking from Honest, Junius refuses the meal in a respectful manner.

"How unfortunate. General, maybe you should get some rest from all that domestic paperwork you are working on."

Devouring another piece of meat from his plate, Honest smiles at the young general.

"Thank you for your concern, Prime Minister. I would gladly take the advice. In fact, I have just finalized the economic plan for our military for this upcoming month, and I have asked Lieutenant Eros to deliver the final draft to you."

Since the first second Junius stepped into this room, he has located the unopened folder on the edge of the table, but again, as a sign of respect, he decides to kindly remind Honest of his work.

"Yes, yes. I have received it just now. Your work has been fantastic, and the results from last two months were especially satisfying. I am not going to view your plan this time, Junius, I believe in your numerical judgements."

With that reply, Junius intuitively knows that he has achieved his first step in earning the Prime Minister's trust.

"Thank you, Prime Minister, I really appreciate the monetary monthly awards."

The key to handling a political genius, like Honest himself, is to show them a personal flaw. Make them believe that you are controllable, and let them attempt to control you with that specific flaw, so all their suspicions on you would slowly die out.

Knowing this to his heart, Junius skillfully disguises himself as a greedy money maker.

"Ah, yes. These awards. You may see them as my payment for your services."

Completely accepting Junius' façade, the Prime Minister lets a small smirk to be viewable on his facial expression.

"In fact, General, I would like you to handle the recent problems within the Imperial Police. As you may have heard, Captain Ogre was tragically murdered, so there was a rather unpleasant struggle in the distribution of his wealth among the others, if you know what I mean."

Immediately noticing where this conversating is going, Junius lets his mind to analyze the situation for a few seconds before answering the Prime Minister in a grateful behavior.

"I would gladly investigate this problem, Prime Minister."

With that final assertion, the young general politely excuses himself from the dining table, and advances to leave the palace.

Perhaps it is time for him to take a small break.


	61. Chapter 60

Chapter 60 A Step Closer

The Imperial Police doesn't look bad on the surface at all.

Wandering through the training grounds for the Imperial Police forces, Junius curiously observes the daily routines of the young soldiers and the endless criticisms from their superiors.

Such an orderly force – who would have thought that the secrets buried below that surface are not that different from those corrupt politicians? Soldiers blindly following unreasonable instructions, captains scheming for more personal power, and the Prime Minister, who is above all of this, is currently giving nothing but a paradoxical order for Junius to deliver – fairly distributing the remains of Captain Ogre's legacy.

Paradoxical indeed.

But a job is a job, and Junius would almost do anything to gain the Prime Minister's support.

"Gen – General Brutus!"

Ah, yes, of course, that surprised voice from the incoming captain cannot be a better evidence for Junius to believe that the Prime Minister did not inform the Imperial Police that he is coming to resolve their problems. By not claiming all the responsibilities of this dirty work, Honest is prepared for extreme outcomes on both sides of the spectrum. If Junius successfully completes his job, then the Prime Minister could take all the credit by personally declaring an order according to Junius' plan. If Junius fails to make a compromise among the many generals, then the Prime Minister could deny any involvement in this political scandal, thus not losing any support from the Imperial Police members.

Such a sly snake.

Lightly sighing at the startled man, Junius takes his turn to reply with a calculated placid response.

"Junius, Captain Nevil, please do not be frightened like that. I will start to believe that I left my eyepatch on my desk again. Oh, I could not have done that today, could I?"

Extending his right hand over his right eye, the young general serenely touches the piece of black cloth before answering his rhetorical question.

"Ah, it is there, Fortunately. I would not want to go back to my office on my first day off in three months now, would I?"

"Gen – General Brutus –"

"Junius, Captain."

"General Junius –"

"Just Junius, please."

"But, General –"

Holding his right hand up, the young general decides to stop the captain's statement before it becomes a military report. No, a military report would not give him any useful information regarding the situation in the Imperial Police. From the wandering eyes of Captain Nevil to the staggering sentences he is trying to form, Junius can already conclude that the conditions here are not going to be pleasant. The only reason for an Imperial Police Captain to be so apprehensive when his superior comes to inspect him is that he has been doing something unsuitable.

And it is Junius' job to correct that.

"Nevil, first names only today. I am on a short break, and I would like to keep it that way. Calling me 'General' would only make me think of work. I thought it would be an enjoyable experience for me to visit the Imperial Police training ground for the first time."

In most of the times, an amicable smile is everything you need to convince the most anxious person to fall into your comfort trap.

"So, what are you waiting for? Show me around. Your training ground surely looks interesting."

Tapping mildly on the young captain's shoulder, Junius gestures for the man to walk in front of him.

"Oh, oh, okay, okay. Here, I will start from the… um… practice fields, yes, practice fields."

Well, at least the man is not fiddling around aimlessly.

Junius decides to let him talk.

…

Watching the soldiers simulating warring scenarios with personal combat is rather entertaining. For the young general, it is always beneficial to notice the potential improvement in his own army by observing and learning the strengths of others. Technically, thanks to his connection to the Izanagi, Junius has the ability to access all of the information regarding military advancement in Shion's world, but watching the real exhibition would always generate knowledge impossible to gain by theories alone. Junius knows this, because he has personally led the training procedures for his own subordinates.

"General Brutus? What brings you to the Imperial Police force today?"

The voice is relatively stable, and the questioning tone again justifies his belief of the Prime Minister's schemes. The footsteps prior to the question, however, shows a continuous approach of confidence, which contradicts the scenario for an officer to question the motives of his or her superiors.

"Seriously, Captain Myra, I might even consider changing my first name to 'General', so everyone can actually address me by my first name, especially on my small day off."

The woman's eye sights are as straightforward as arrows, which shows absolutely no confusion in her actions. With some experienced analysis of her facial expression, it is rather obvious that the heightening eyebrows are only the results of a forced muscle movement; therefore, even though she is asking for the purpose of Junius' visit, she already knows the answer to her own question.

"Ah, yes, I apologize, Junius, I have forgotten that you are not a man of formalities."

The fact that the woman is not standing next to the single-eyed general reveals nothing but her preparation for keeping the conversation uninterrupted. Yes, this woman is prepared for his arrival.

"No need to apologize. At least you are quicker to learn than a certain jittery colleague of yours."

Alright, if she wants to keep this conversation going, then Junius will let her take the lead.

"Oh, you must be talking about Captain Nevil over there. He has been acting quite abnormally since – well, you know, the passing of Captain Ogre."

Ah, so that is the topic in which she is interested. By emphasizing the irregularity of Captain Nevil, Myra has not only achieved her goal of discussing the topic of Ogre, but also shift the focus away from herself – if Junius is going to refute her in whatever claim she is about to make regarding the Ogre problem, then she can make Nevil the instigator of this conflict. If Junius is going to support her, then she has the full advantage over her colleagues right now, because she is talking directly to him.

Very clever.

"Yes, I am aware of that tragedy, but such an event should not linger in a soldier's mind to a degree as to prevent him from working effectively, don't you agree? You, for instance, are handling this loss quite maturely."

A bit of flattery and a small push of support is all Junius needs to drive out the true motives.

"Thank you, Junius. I thought Ogre's death was sorrowful as well, and I try my best to avoid emotional turbulences that could potentially impact my duty; however, I do believe that the problem with Nevil is not about Ogre's death, but somehow related to his other colleagues."

"Oh? Is that so? Would you care to elaborate?"

"Gladly."

The young captain pauses herself as if she is preparing to give out a prepared speech, but then proceeds to explain her thoughts to the general.

"After Captain Ogre was murdered, the team under his command, naturally, lost their commander. As for now, there are still many discussions within the Imperial Police forces that try to redistribute these soldiers in a reasonable fashion. Captain Nevil, on one hand, argues for a distribution of soldiers to other captains evenly. Captain Seryu Ubiquitous, on the other hand, partitions for the establishment of a separate team with these soldiers, and specializes them in counter-assassin trainings…"

"Counter-assassin trainings?"

"Yes. She even volunteered herself for this position."

"And the results?"

"Well, the decision should come out tomorrow."

"And I am assuming that Nevil is anxious because he wants to settle this in his way?"

A genuine upper curve takes over Myra's lips.

"No, Nevil is anxious because he fears that this problem is going to be settled in his way."

"Oh?"

"Junius, have you heard of our Captain Seryu's sense of justice?"

Oh.

That.

So that is the problem.

Seryu Ubiquitous.

Quickly digesting the information in his brain, the young general knows exactly he needs to do now.

"Captain Myra, would you kindly inform me where Captain Seryu may be?"


	62. Chapter 61

Chapter 61 The Storm Begins

Say, what is the ultimate reason for us to do what we do?

A remarkable quantity of people would blindly answer along the lines of duty, human nature, or ethics. We are alive, because we are willing to accept the mutual relationship between ourselves and the society in which we live. The societies bring us to our adulthoods, and we contribute our talents back to our societies. This positive feedback loop would allow us to preserve what we have built in thousands of years, and pass our legacies to be used as the betterment of our worlds.

What a wonderful semblance that is.

What would Hei say about that?

True in reason, false in conclusion.

That positive feedback loop, for an unorthodox utilitarian like Hei himself, is no other than the results of self-interests. Why are we contributing to our societies? That is because we desire for the pleasure that societies are eventually able to return to us. We are we helping the others? That is because we desire for that emotional satisfaction or that spiritual contentment. Why are some people fundamentally "good" and some fundamentally "evil"? That is because we see ultimate benefits that make us fulfilled in one way or another.

Take Captain Myra for an example – why would she care to inform Junius about the conflict between Seryu and Nevil? To perform her duty as a captain of the Imperial Police? Or to accomplish her self-interest? Surely, if the distribution of the soldiers can proceed according to Nevil's plan, then Myra would have her own share of that increase. That is why she has directed the center of this problem to Seryu.

Now, is that wrong? How can we know? That is almost like asking if the famous Seryu Ubiquitous Sense of Justice is fundamentally wrong. The best answer one may have to that question should fall along the words "it depends on your perspective".

…

"Damn it! Where did all those Imperial Police forces come from? I almost thought we were not going to escape that pursue. What is up with the heightened security today?"

Dashing through the darkness of the night, a certain pinkette takes another sharp turn toward a side alley before making a complaint about her mission to her teammate.

"At least we accomplished our duties, right? And that is all that matters."

Even though they are both undergoing the similar difficulties, her purple-haired friend is displaying a rather relaxed attitude over their current condition.

The mission was rather successful, considering that Mine and Sheele at least eliminated their target within their assigned time period. Like every single time, an assassination will always be followed by a thrilling escape. With the Imperial Police overwhelming the city, the two skilled members of Night Raid must make everything as swift and soundless as possible. And that would be done professionally as a result of their valuable experiences in Night Raid.

Just as Akame and Leone are currently being assigned to another target on the other side of the city, Mine and Sheele are merely following the orders of Najenda. Tatsumi is training under Bulat, and is becoming more and more adept at being an assassin. Lubbock, well, is still being Lubbock. As for that bastard Hei… Never mind. Nobody knows what he is doing, and nobody is willing to find out. It is rather strange, however, as the intensity of the guards for this operation seems to be at least twice of their usual assassinations. Perhaps Tatusumi's successful elimination of Captain Ogre is alarming the city police? Mine slightly shakes her head at the sudden thought. There is nothing she can't handle with her best friend.

SLASH! CLANG!

Avoiding the incoming assault at the last second, the two young assassins make their respective instant observations upon their opponents.

Imperial Police armor, brown ponytail, metal cane, and… a dog?

Watching their opponent carefully, an intuitive alarm appeared in the young assassins' hearts. This person, whoever she is, is certainly nothing like any of the pervious guards they have encountered. Lowering her weapon, Mine redistributes her body weight to make herself balanced, and readies her weapon at this incoming threat – when an assassin readies themselves for a battle, there is no place for a mental hesitation.

Through her reflective glasses, Sheele is slowly taking in the details of this imminent threat. Words cannot convey the danger she is receiving from this young officer – there is something within her eyes that is emitting a superficial aura of metallic brutality. She frowns momentarily at that observation – it cannot be helped. It is destined to happen once again, this growing sense of struggle between her consciousness, friendship, and duty is troubling. But no such thing should come to her mind as to this point, because this has been her way, this is her way, and this will continue to be her way.

"Excellent, excellent, just like the Wanted Posters… Looks like the notification was accurate….. I finally found you, Night Raid…"


	63. Chapter 62

Chapter 62 Ethics?

The night light can only be so pale when it is contrasted by the natural darkness. The formidable stream of unsettled households can sometimes be overwhelming to an aimless traveler. With this disparity comes our human instincts. When the sun shines so highly in the sky, we run for cover, hoping to find ourselves a sense of security. When the clouds completely cover the moonlights, we break for fire, wishing to lend ourselves the superficial guidance or façade.

Black and white, right and wrong, bad and good, are these things really predetermined?

Is the empire just in sacrificing human rights for the sake of order and peace? Is the revolutionary army right in trading the lives of many for an unknown future of possible anarchy? Who can answer these questions?

Maybe that is why the study of ethics is such a disputed area.

For some people in particular, however, it does not really matter.

…

Crossing over another rotten fence, Junius dashes toward the location of which Captain Myra has informed him. Equipped with no other weapons but his hand cane, the silver-haired general takes out his pocket watch, and times his footsteps.

"The sudden outburst comes from the direction of the park, Seryu's encounter with the Night Raid assassins has just begun. With Hei's intelligence, some members of Night Raid are able to cause serious danger to Seryu and her Teigu, namely Akame and Bulat. In addition, it is not very clear how many Night Raid members are currently in conflict with Seryu, and knowing her sense of unyielding justice, she would probably take on all of them without any clear thinking…"

BANG!

With a rough estimate of his arrival time, Junius hastily increments his approaching velocity by another twenty percent. Any fool can easily comprehend the power of the gunshot from that thundering noise, but Junius takes it to another level.

"The only Teigu capable of making such noise is the Punpkin, which means Mine is one, if not the only assassin, whom Seryu is encountering. Hei's sources suggest that the power of the Pumpkin can increase with the amount of danger in which the user surrounds themselves. From the intensity of the last shot, it is not hard to conclude that Mine is in the disadvantage, which shows Seryu is currently taking the upper hand."

Leaping from one tree branch to another, the young general carefully lowers his own presence by immersing in the shadows of the buildings – even though he has predicted that Seryu is winning this supposed conflict, it is always wise to observe your enemies before actively charging into a battle.

He is almost there.

…

The situation is not very optimal.

With another shot fired at the monstrous biological Teigu, the pinkette cannot help but tightens her grip on the Pumpkin. The amount of mental stress she has been experiencing for the past five minutes or so has been overwhelming. Her Teigu is already working astonishingly – the last shot, which blasted off a large portion of Koro's head, was a result of a tremendous danger in which she has situated herself, but the undying monster just does not seem to give up on its unreasonable regeneration ability.

This Imperial Police Captain in front of her has already called reinforcements, which means a continuing fight will only result in a defeat for the two assassins.

Dodging another assault from the biological Teigu, Mine takes a step backward, and readies the Pumpkin into an aiming stance. The amount of momentum her opponent produces each time is certainly able to crush her bones if directly impacted, but without destroying the core of the biological Teigu, it is impossible to cause permanent damages on Koro.

The monstrous arm is swinging at an inhuman speed toward the sniper. If she cannot successfully dodge that attack, then her petite body will be scattered on the ground in pieces in the next second.

However, Mine does not seem to move.

SLASH!

With lightning speed, Sheele surprisingly takes another cut at the monstrous being's left leg, successfully offsetting its balance, causing it to miss its previous target.

BANG!

Another shot from the pinkette's pierces straight through the middle of Koro's head, creating a giant splash of redness in the middle of emptiness.

Of course, there is no need to communicate with words.

With so many years of battle experience with her best friend, Mine intuitively knows what her partner is planning, what role she should play in accommodating their assault patterns, and what risks she should take. She also knows, very definitely, that Sheele is not going to let her die so easily.

A grateful smile quickly finds it's path to the pinkette's face before disappearing in the next instant – her target is still standing.

"Don't you ever underestimate the strength of a biological Teigu!"

With great confidence, the Imperial Police Captain widens her smile at the ongoing conflict. She knows, for a fact, that Koro cannot be killed that easily, no matter how hard the two pathetic assassins seem to be trying at this point.

It will be done very soon.

Justice will be served.

There will be no obstacles this time.

The brunette cannot remember exactly at what time did she begin this adamant search for justice. Does it matter? She tightens her grip on the tonfa guns – no, it does not. It is her duty, it is her code, it is her ethical truth that is guiding her to this very day. Since that first day when she underwent the body mechanization, she has decided to become the defender of justice, no matter the cost, for justice is undoubtedly the greater good.

"If that is so, then I must take out the Teigu wielder first!"

Dashing out from Seryu's blind angle, a purple-haired girl swiftly ambushes the thoughtful captain with her colossal pair of scissors. The angle is aimed perfectly for the lethal kill, any attempt to dodge or block such an assault will end up with at least of pair of crippled appendages.

If she had chosen to wait until the reinforcements earlier, then none of this would have happened, yet the reinforcements would have taken a protracted amount of time to arrive, granting the assassins the chance to escape. That is why Seryu did not hesitate to charge into a battle with the two elites of Night Raid.

Even though she is about to lose a portion of what contributes her human side.

But does she really care? Nothing should stand in the way of what is ethically righteous!

Not even her own humanity.

Making the final decision, Seryu places her arms into a defense position, shuts her eyes, and awaits for the inevitable to happen.

CLANG!

"My, my, Seryu, please don't just idiotically throw away your own self, life is not that long, so you must treasure every piece of yourself."

The pain did not come.

Upon hearing that voice, the young captain reopens her eyes with confusion and surprise.

White top hat, white trench coat, white trousers, silver hair, black eyepatch.

A hand cane is placed precisely between the two blades of the Extase, effectively hindering any further process of the weapon. How it is able to protect itself from being cutting into two pieces from the Teigu is a question for another time.

For now…

"Gen – General Brutus!"


	64. Chapter 63

Chapter 63 Blood and Sacrifice – Part 1

Life, life, so erratic.

It comes without a warning, it goes without a stain. It makes us treasure what is only the result of a gamble, it lures us into the destruction of analogous existences. It trusts, it cheats, it gives, it takes. It creates the utmost joy, it conceives the sheer anguish.

Life, life, so essential.

It is through sacrifices we learn. It is through devastations we progress. It is the ultimate price to pay. It is also the most inconsequential object we through away. Some are gone for the most honorable reasons, while others are done for the most pathetic excuses.

…

If there is a meaning for her life, then Sheele found it in such a somber way. Being the only one who could not accomplish anything to the other's standards, she has undergone countless ridicules in her early years. A kind heart does not fall, however, since her sense of protection will always be overwhelmingly gushing toward those she cares. Clumsiness prevents her from building a paradise for them, but it does not matter – she could always cut down what is standing between her faithful friends and that paradise.

That grumpy pinkette, Mine.

Sheele knows how much sadness is hiding under that prideful disguise. She knows how Mine was the target of all types of derisions. It is all too familiar to no other than herself. That is why she wants to protect her. Maybe only a true friend can fulfill what is missing in that fragile heart.

That innocent boy, Tatsumi.

Sheele knows how much danger the future contains for him. He is too idealistic, he is too kind, and he is too naïve. That one day may come – that day when his perfect worldview is shattered into infinite pieces in front of him, and he will fall into the deepest despair. That is why she wants to train him. Maybe only a caring older sister can let him gradually see what this path he has chosen truly is.

CLANG!

Her heart trembles at that voice. That assault – that planned attack on the Imperial Police Captain was supposed to be her decisive comeback against this declining situation. Mine has been overworking herself. The sweat on her forehead cannot be mistaken as anything other than the result of tremendous mental concentration. She thought a surprise ambush against the Teigu wielder would end this madness once and for all, but that hopeful speculation soon turns into distress when that voice came to her ears.

Someone stopped her Extase.

"Ah, yes, Night Raid, the famous group of unlawful assassins. It seems that you have been rather busy with your assignments."

Quickly pulling her Teigu away from that confrontation, the purple-haired assassin locks her gaze onto the newcomer. If he is able to defend that Seryu from her previous lethal blow, then he is an opponent to be cautious about.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am General Junius Brutus, advisor to the Prime Minister."

A general who is also an advisor to the Prime Minister? Sheele contemplates those words, trying to determine the threat level from this Junius. The man in white conceals himself with a gentle smile on his face, but Sheele knows that anyone who works closely with the Prime Minister cannot be trusted so easily.

"It is a beautiful night, and I am currently in no mood for a full-out confrontation. I know your answer would most likely to be negative, but would you please lower your weapons and come back with us? I like talented people. With your skills, I could even partition a pardon for your crimes to the Prime Minister and ask for you to serve in the military…"

"General Brutus! How can you say that? They are the dirtiest scoundrels who stir up chaos and injustice in our city! You can't just…"

Before one-eyed general finishes his proposal, the brunette lashes out her inner most complain with absolute shock and frustration. Seryu believes, from the very beginning to the very end, that criminals should be brought to justice, no matter what.

"Yes, yes, Seryu. I understand; however, don't you think that bringing the criminals to our cause is just another way of exercising justice?"

Cutting the Imperial Police Captain from the middle of her statement, Junius turns to look at Seryu with a sincere complexion.

"I am sorry, general, but I cannot let them just get away with their crimes in the pass; and in addition –"

BANG!

A powerful stream of energy blasts through the middle of the conversation, directing into no other than the white-coated general, sending him flying outside from the park. In the distance, the pinkette immediately dashes toward her friend after the shot was fired.

"Sheele, let's go! This is the chance!"

With an anxious shout, Mine forcefully drags her friend out of her deep thoughts as she breaks for the realm of trees.

"General Brutus! No! Damn Night Raid! Damn you all! Koro, Berserker!"


	65. Chapter 64

Chapter 64 Blood and Sacrifice – Part 2

Seeing the general being blasted away from the devious shot, Seryu's eyes turn into a shade of redness. The single-eyed general has just saved her own life! But now he is being blasted into pieces because of those malicious Night Raid assassins! The amount of anger she possesses is beyond description. If one can decipher a message from that expression, then it would be nothing other than total annihilation.

ROAR!

If Koro was a monster, then it is now a demon. The sheer roar from that biological Teigu is able to stun its enemies. Without a decent preparation, anyone would be mentally engulfed by that terrifying outcry.

Even a trained assassin.

One second.

That is how long Mine's mind freezes itself from any form of clear thinking.

And that is all what the demon needs.

SHINK!

"WAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

The biological Teigu vigorously grips the pinkette in its arm. Aside from the frightening scream she is making, Sheele can feel the pain of her friend by just seeing the distressed expression on Mine's face – it is the mixture of anguish, fear, hopelessness, and above all, despair.

Is this how Mine is going to die? After she risks her own life to create an opportunity for her friend to escape? In that specific second, Sheele reacts instinctively to the situation.

"Extase!"

A bright light shines across the battlefield. It's burning lumens immediately cause everyone to be overcame by a temporary blindness. Within that specific second, her pair of scissors perfectly dismembers that atrocious arm of the standing giant, leaving a trail of internal body liquids scattered around the ground.

"She – Sheele!"

Feeling the sudden release of force from her body, the pinkette gracefully crashes onto the ground. Her eyes are filled with thankfulness and joy – she knows that she can always count on her friend.

Yet –

SLUCK.

"SHEELE! NO!"

What was that sound? A small moment of confusion comes over Sheele's mind as she turns her head from the crippled demon to her friend. Why is Mine calling her name with that horrified face? She looks down at where Mine is looking. There is part of a blade thrusting out of her stomach.

An unbalanced area of scarlet shape is spreading over her clothes.

The pain. She is feeling it now.

"Sorry, Sheele, but it seems that you have decided to resolve this issue the difficult way."

That voice – that gentle yet deceiving voice! But it couldn't be –

As she tries to turn her head from the pinkette, a shade of whiteness is reflected through her glasses. Her heart is sinking. That man is holding his hand cane. Following the extension of that tool, Sheele's eyes widens as she discovers that the hand cane is turning into a sword as it is piercing through her flesh.

SLUCK.

Painful. Very painful.

The purple-haired assassin watches as the living young general pulls out his cane sword from her body. She wants to shout, but her strength is fading. She wants to grasp, but her body is misfunctioning. She wants to look at her best friend one more time, but her vision is becoming darker and darker.

This is the end, then.

She decides to become another victim of gravity as her legs are failing her. From the distance, she can still make out of Mine's face. She wants to apologize, she wants to tell the pinkette to run, she wants to tell her to stay strong, she wants to hug that innocent boy once again, she wants to…

Her consciousness is fading away. No more wishes.

"I'm sorry…"

Those are her last words before darkness completely consumes her.

"NO! SHEELE! NO…"

Tears are rushing down like the falling meteoroids. As those transparent droplets hit the ground with an incomparable magnitude, the young girl's heart is shattered into a million crystal fragments. That person who always hears her unending complaints with an understanding smile is no more. That person who always brings everyone a short laugh with her clumsiness is no more. That person who always knows her, personally, more than anyone in this world, is no more.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let this problem escalate."

Through her tearing eyes, Mine barely makes out the shape of that murderer – that person who she had supposedly killed. He is approaching quickly. Very quickly. The cane sword in his right hand is reflecting the silver moonlight. He looks like a ghost. She has to run. There is no way she can fight this man in her current state. That monster Koro has broken some of her bones. Bringing all of her strength to her lower body, she tries to pull herself off the ground, and barely succeeds in standing up.

He is very close now.

Probably three more seconds.

Mine looks up to the sky – she has no more strength to pick up and fire the Pumpkin in this short range of time anymore.

The stars are shining brightly tonight.

Maybe she can find peace with her friend in the afterlife. She doesn't really know.

Two more seconds.

She turns back to look at the upcoming bringer of death. For some reason, his bright textures look especially dark.

She lets out a fateful smile.

One more second.

"I'm sorry…"

SLASH!

CLANG!

"Stupidity. Such ineptitude of masses."

…

Why? Why does that dark robe look so bright in this night?


	66. Chapter 65

Chapter 65 Awareness in the Darkness

The Dark Triad.

The heart of all malevolent natures in human minds.

Narcissism, the bedrock of grandiosity, pride, egotism, and the lack of empathy.

Machiavellianism, the seed of manipulation, exploitation, deception, and the focus of self-interests.

Psychopathy, the core of selfishness, callousness, remorselessness, and the behaviors of anti-society.

Truly, they contribute to the death of all ethics and morality.

Those who possess qualities from the above compose inevitably the darkest portion in our civilizations.

Darker than anything the society encompasses.

Darker than black.

…

Hei, an artificial living being, besets his unparalleled reasons for his goals. There are no friendships, sensations, or principles in his line of work. Survival is the key, and he would have committed anything atrocious if it were to be beneficial to his own liking.

Can the Night Raid assassins be labeled as his acquaintances? Conceivably. It is really just a trade in his own eyes. With his presence, the assassins can provide him crucial information about the Revolutionary Army, and thus his search for other bearers of contractor souls would be greatly abridged. Furthermore, it is imperative to keep an eye on one of the most dangerous bearers out there – the Izanami herself.

That being said, there should not be any obligations for him to concern about the wellness of the young assassins, right?

"Quantitively unremunerative. Trade mistakes consequential. Subjective judgements introduce impotent dispossessions."

Steadily holding onto the pair of throwing axes in his hand, the masked man undeviatingly uses his weapons to fend off the oncoming vertical slash from the cane sword, stopping the blade from cutting through the frontal bones of the dismayed pinkette.

"Abdomen bone fracture severe. Left Humerus damaged. Body vitality at most fifty-five percent. Continuing combat unproductive. Self-reliance able for full-retreat. Go."

You know, Hei, it would be much nicer if you can express that "I will hold the enemies as you retreat" in a more humane way, especially when you are talking to an emotionally devastated assassin.

"But, but –"

Mine turns her gaze from the Black Reaper to the young general, to the Imperial Police Captain, to her Teigu, and finally to Sheele. Latently, her heart is telling her that she should not leave the body of her friend to be dismembered by that giant monster. Also, maybe just a little, she is rather grateful for Hei to appear in the most crucial moment –

The interlocked pair of conflicting weapons are swiftly retrieved by their respective users. The silver-haired general relocates himself for a more accessible position, and swings his weapon after a full counter-clockwise body revolution.

CLANG!

"Foolishness. Narrow-minded acumen, absolute absurdity."

Never mind. That man is still a jerk.

CLANG!

Junius extracts the blade from the locking position, and thrusts it directly at Hei's left rib cage, while the man in black parries the sword with the axe in his left hand.

Biting down her teeth, the injured pinkette takes a last look at the body of her purple-haired friend, and half-heartedly stumbles toward the layers of trees.

"Bastard! I don't care if you live or die…"

While reassuring herself that it does not matter to her if Hei dies on the battlefield, a loud command cuts Mine off in the middle of her murmuring, causing the pinkette to hastily raise her footsteps as she lays a final view on the Black Reaper.

"No! Damned Night Raid! Damned scoundrels! Koro, kill her!"

Hearing the order from its master, the monstrous being unleashes a thundering battle cry, and dashes toward the escaping assassin.

"Reaction force collected. Momentum derives estimation of body mass. Position diagram assembled. Calculating center of mass. Moment of inertia constitutes general balance. Gravitation acceleration distributed over irregular densities. Collision sounds suggest materials of composition. Wavelength, frequency, and speed verify predictions. Structural analysis complete. Launching force vector determined."

Just like a real-time battle computer, the Black Reaper swiftly dodges a horizontal back kick from the one-eyed general, and contracts his right arm toward his chest.

"Electron Manipulation, Type-Beta."

Discharging the metal weapon with a precisely calculated electric potential, Hei pushes himself back from the current battleground, landing outside of Junius' range of attack.

"Electron Manipulation, Type-Gamma."

Feeling invisible magnetic field he deployed above the stony ground, the Black Reaper immediately releases the folded right arm as a motion for a horizontal swing, sending the charged metal axe sweepingly through a parabolic path.

ZAP!

ROAR!

The axe brutally engraves itself into the left leg of the giant creature. The high amount of electricity successfully disrupts the internal connection system of the biological Teigu for a second, creating a small malfunction in the communication process between its central core and that specific leg, leaving the monster crash itself onto the ground because of its unbalanced distribution of force.

"Well done, well done, assassin. Even though you presented yourself as a carrier of the Dark Triad qualities, you still managed to grant a flawless escape for your teammate."

Upon seeing Hei's masterful display of control in his previous attack, Junius lets out his signature simle toward the masked man once again, and points his cane sword directly to the center of that pale mask.

"The real show should start now."


	67. Chapter 66

**Hi, everyone.**

 **Thank you for your support.**

 **December is here, and school is picking up once more. I will continue to write, but my rate of updating is probably going to go down. Still, I will try my best.**

 **Now, about the plot:**

 **Yes, some stories are going to go off tangents, and that is what I planned. If you are confused on what exactly is happening, do not worry, because things will become clearer and clearer as time progresses, and I will drop hints here and there on what is going on.**

 **Thank you again.**

 **Great wishes.**

Chapter 66 No, Profits

The wandering winds of the night are the most remarkable piece of decoration in this confused land. When the strange force uplifts the layers after layers of magnificent twilight, when we become the victims of our own imaginations, when we are relinquished by our most probable assumptions, then we are most vulnerable.

Brooding, brooding.

Bumbling, bumbling.

Beguiling, beguiling.

The night is the stage.

And actors are only here for profits.

…

"Koro, break his bones!"

The sound of metal-slashing can never be so tempting when comparing to the bulging noise from the enormous biological Teigu. As the master commands, the monstrous being launches charges toward the masked man, aiming to devour his entire body with those uncompromising set of teeth.

"Muscle potential scrutinized into rate of acceleration, rho estimated: twelve point three meters per second cubed, theta estimated: one hundred seventy-five point two degrees, phi estimated: eighty-two point four degrees."

Shifting his center of weight, the Black Reaper launches himself directly toward Koro, seemingly jumping right into the ravaging teeth; however, as the distance between the two contrasted killers decreases in an unobservable rate, Hei lowers his entire body at exactly one meter before the contact takes place, leaving a misplaced assault from the larger being to be received by nothing but empty air.

SLUNK!

As the sound of metal breaking through flesh is echoed, Hei brutally borrowed Koro's upcoming momentum to push the previously embedded electrical axe through the rest of that appendage. With the help of the axe's opposite force, the crimson liquid from the giant being is quickly dispersed onto the ground, painting a picture of horror.

"Very eloquent. I may as well treat you as an artist if you choose to join our cause."

Mentally estimating what the Black Reaper is going to do in his next move, Junius quickly sheathes the cane sword back to its ivory protection, and competently unlocked the constraint from the top of the cane. In an instant, the appointed mechanism within the weapon is released, and the young general effectively extends the short hand cane to the length of a metal staff.

"And why don't we, as artists, conduct some exchanges of techniques?"

CLANG!

With a deliberate thrust of his opponent's renewed weapon, the Black Reaper unexpectedly crosses both of his forearms, and receives the point of the metal rod with the little space formed by the intersection of his two throwing axes.

ROAR! CHINK!

Seeing that the masked man is locked in place by Junius' assault, the biological Teigu seizes this opportunity to make a powerful swing toward its target, which, to its mater's surprise, successfully lands onto the usually untouchable dark shadow.

"Right Radius cracked. Arm functionality decreases about forty-one point four percent. Vertebrochondral ribs damaged. Bodily acceleration stability decreases about twenty-six point five percent."

"Electron Manipulation, Type Gamma."

Ungracefully adjusting himself in the middle of the air, the Black Reaper reactivates the magnetic fields, and uses the metal protections inside his black attire to decelerate his landing process.

"Good job, Koro, Go! Kill him! Don't let him recover!"

Watching her Teigu's successful maneuver over its prey, the Imperial Police Captain is ravaged with excitement – finally, she will be able to bring this cursed Night Raid member to justice, just as she planned in the first place. Unshackling her own weapon, the brunette is ready to join in the fight with her biological Teigu, until she notices something peculiar on her metal boot.

"What is this?"

"Electron Manipulation, Type Alpha."

ZAP!

"WAHHHHHHH!"

As the scream of the Imperial Police Captain takes over the shivering night wind, a silver string can be reflected through the ivory moonlight – a string that connecting the brunette's right leg to nothing over than the Black Reaper's left hand.

So that's why he took the hit.

Feeling the extreme pain burning through her body, the young captain cannot help but discovers that she is losing her thoughts. She has failed. She knows Koro would shut down in the absence of a commander, but the excruciating electricity is preventing her to physically give out any other instructions for her pet. With a final glimpse of consciousness –

"J-J-JUNIUS…"

Her consciousness is taken over by darkness.

Conspicuously speaking, the confrontation between the Black Reaper and the pair lawful enforcers is rather unconventional. Rather than the decorous conflict of physical prowess and their natural reflexes, this contest is undoubtedly a continuous rationalization for Hei. It is indubitable that this man contains the primary aptitude from Li as the expert martial artist and bears the atrocious power from the infamous BK-201, but when he is facing such an illogical creature, a minimization of his contractor power can simply not do the job.

That is why Hei decides to bring down the wielder of the biological Teigu. From the structural analysis he made for the monstrous being at the beginning of this confrontation, the Black Reaper discovers that destroying the core of this creature would require an overcharging of its internal system, which is more voltage than his maximum potential, considering that he is still in the pre-mature stage for controlling the power of BK-201.

Seryu, on the other hand, is easier to handle. If he could successfully establish a connection between himself and the brunette, then a simple electric shock is all that is required to take her down. All Hei needed was a chance for the Imperial Police Captain to lower her guard. With a calculated impact, he has borrowed the momentum from the charging Teigu to enhance his flying velocity, which could cover his secret manipulation of the metal wire he set on the ground when Seryu's total attention was on him.

Particle manipulation, what exactly can it do? Direct electrons to create charges? Use these charges to assimilate currents? Manipulate the flow of electrons to generate magnetic forces? Perhaps there are more uses once Hei understands this contractor power more thoroughly, but for now, the four types of manipulation he uses are enough for him to taken down supernatural Teigu wielders.

Physically kneeling on the ground, the Black Reaper uses his left hand to investigate his injuries – the continuing usage of contractor powers is really starting to strain his body.

Yet, the ivory magician is approaching.

In this stage, it seems that Junius is completely holding this situation under control – the masked man needs time to recover from the damages, and he is almost still at full strength; therefore, an easy execution should take place in no time.

"Woah, you were altogether overdoing it. Can you handle it?"

Wait, what?

"Bodily injuries are within calculation."

"Right, but you did not need to take that hit from that beast, there are other ways to distract her."

"Other methods not as efficient."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Still, that was rather perilous."

"Uncertainty relatively low."

"You should explain the details to me next time if you want to do it again."

"Surprise enhances realism."

"Fine, then. Shion believes in you, so I guess I would do so as well. I need to take care of my duplicate. Mine struck it down with the Pumpkin, but I am sure Seryu did not notice what exactly happened."

"Acceptable. Eliminate all evidences."

"Absolutely. Now, here are the updates I gathered in the last month. I have legally acquired what is needed. This incident will expedite my progress. These are the coordinates."

"Be aware of secrecy."

"Implicitly."

With that being said, the Black Reaper helps himself to his feet, quickly dashes toward the forest, and dissolves into the realm of darkness.

The one-eyed general turns back toward the battle field, where the frozen Teigu and the bodies of the victims stand, and strides into the whiteness of the moonlight.

Only the actors know the plot.


	68. Chapter 67

**Hi, everyone.**

 **I haven't been writing for about half a month. I sincerely apologize for that. School is slowly taking away my writing time. I cannot help it. December is killing me. At this rate, I have to break my promise of updating regularly once again. I'm sorry, but I will update when I have time again.**

 **Now, about the contractors: this story is still a crossover between the two worlds, and I have been hinting that there will be other souls of contractors lingering around in other hosts. So, yes, there will be other contractor powers; however, don't expect too many of them, since my ability to write is unable to handle an abundance of them.**

Chapter 67 Lies

It has really happened.

Just as he predicted.

The bishop is lost.

Brutally cut down by the enemy rook.

Now, people of the age, will you let go of what you once held precious?

…

Who doesn't feel the pain for a lost comrade? Who cannot be moved by the sacrifice from a dear friend? They say, the more death you see, the more distant you are from these feelings. You will start to give in to fate, and you will embrace your emptiness in the very end.

If you are still struggling in the middle of that petrifying journey, then at least you are still human.

Lubbock is, like everyone else, well aware of this. Even though he could be, at times, a shameless and fearless pervert, he is, above all, not stupid. In the instinct when Mine stumbles through that unclasped door, her gesture contains no other than the despair from losing what could only be so precious. To this he sighs.

And yet, everything seems so familiar.

"Instead of holding onto your precious pieces, you should sacrifice them to obtain your victory."

Hei's foreboding words, Hei's controversial wisdom, Hei's unilateral train of philosophies. All of them, so intriguing but so nonsensical, cannot be easily forgotten.

The green-haired boy slowly uplifts his gaze from the bleeding pinkette, taking in the sorrows of his once-tenacious teammates, and shifts his view from the embracing scene between Mine and Leone to the other members of Night Raid.

Sheele's death – what could it possibly bring? How can it be a sacrifice? Hei is undoubtedly going to view this as the loss of no more than an asset. But this is Sheele, this is not, in any sense, a piece on a chessboard. Just look at the remorse in this room, and one will immediately disregard such an outrageous thought. The emotional ones have already demonstrated enough unwanted courage in this incident, but assassins are still human. Even the stoic Akame can reflect a string of hurt in her crimson pupils.

The green-haired boy turns his line of sight again – this time to no other than the deepening darkness outside of the window.

The Black Reaper is back.

Why was he out in the first place? Lubbock tries to recollect that piece of memory buried within his own mind. Right, Hei left with the phrase, "Information gathering." Did he know from the very beginning? Mine has told everyone about Hei's arrival at the scene, but how did he know Sheele and Mine were going to be ambushed by the Imperial Police? Coincidence? Oh, Lubbock hopes. The alternatives are just too alarming – either the Hei is intelligent enough to predict the danger, or he has intelligence inside the imperial military already…

A cold shiver gradually climbs up from the tip of his spine as Lubbock looks at the black figure with a slightly frightened expression.

"…"

The pale mask seems extraordinarily luminous, but the light complexion does not seem to lessen the tension in the atmosphere in a single bit. The silence of the Black Reaper does not help, either.

"She is gone."

No meter, no cadence. A blunt conclusion – it is just as if Hei is reporting his usual findings from his scouting missions. Such is the fact, receive it as how it is.

Of course, Mine saw it. She is the one who has witnessed her friend's fall, but this… this candid demeanor – it is nothing like reopening a healing scar – it is thrusting a sword straight into an uncompromising blemish.

Lubbock turns his head from the Black Reaper to their young sniper – there is something in her eyes. Billows, they are. Yes, relentless waves. No, they are not tears, for she has already dried them. It is the emotional surge of raging regret.

She is blaming herself.

Lubbock knows his teammates very well. As assassins, they are always prepared for the funerals of one another. They try, very assiduously, to bury that emotion underneath, because the personal impacts of the death of a loved one can be poisonous.

And contagious.

What can they possibly do?

Just break down?

No, breaking down cannot accomplish anything. One must swallow it, one must digest it, and one must engulf that feeling with a sense of maturity.

Mine unintendedly bites onto her teeth. There is a beast inside her, and she must contain it. As an assassin, she cannot let that outrage spread onto her friends. The atrocity is damaging, and it might carve a permanent mark onto those who do not ever deserve it.

She must stay strong, she tells herself.

Stay strong like the unyielding sniper.

Stay strong to her teammates.

Stay strong like the one who always takes care of her.

Stay strong like Sheele…

Oh no.

Sheele.

"Do this for Sheele. Do this for Sheele. Don't break down, Mine. Sheele would not want you to cry. Smile, Mine, tell them you are okay. This is not why Sheele died. Hold in. Hold in. No! Eyes, you traitors! Stop tearing! This is not what Sheele wants! DAMN IT MINE HOLD IT TOGETHER!"

Her internal voice is struggling. It is on the edge of collapsing. The more the pinkette tries to use Sheele as her mental guide to stay strong, the more fragile she becomes.

"She was glad."

At just the most unforgiving of all times, the monotone breaks into the silent atmosphere once again. Hei, what are you doing?

"Before I departed, she still had a dying breath."

Hei, you are lying.

"She saw you left."

Hei, this is unnecessary.

"She was contented."

Hei, this is becoming distasteful.

"Because you matured in her eyes."

…

With those words still lingering in everyone's ears, the Black Reaper quietly exits the crowded room. Perhaps there are more tears. Perhaps there are none. Hei doesn't really care. He needs to work with emotionally stable partners, and lying to Mine will eventually release her of her spiritual entanglement – of what she once held precious.

Feelings are subjective and useless.

They will only cloud your future judgements.

As long as Mine is calmed in the course of time, Hei will be able to use her once more.

In the end, it is all part of his deal.

And ultimately, achieving his goal is the only thing that matters.

Isn't it?


End file.
